Governor explains OPG did not address rape by US Marine late last year “For the sake of protecting the privacy of the victim”

Governor explains OPG did not address rape by US Marine late last year

On April 19 at the Prefectural Office, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki responds to questions from a press group about the incident of sexual violence perpetrated by the U.S. Marine lance corporal


April 20, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Teppei Ikeda

 

On April 19, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki issued a comment about the prosecution of a U.S. Marine lance corporal for raping a woman, resulting in her bodily injury. Governor Tamaki clarified that the incident occurred in October last year, and that the U.S. authorities provided the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) with information about the prosecution of the soldier, which took place on December 23 last year. While the OPG was aware of the incident, no official announcement was made about the incident. Governor Tamaki explained the OPG’s stance, saying “For the sake of protecting the privacy of the victim, the Prefectural Police and other agencies requested that the information be handled cautiously.”

According to the OPG, an apology from the U.S. authorities was requested last year, and OPG personnel privately called involved persons from the U.S. military, U.S. government, and Japanese government to the Prefectural Office to present an objection, and requested that recurrence prevention measures be swiftly taken to provide more thorough and effective education and management of U.S. soldiers.

Sex crimes are repeatedly perpetrated by U.S. military-related personnel in Okinawa, such as the following: in Naha City in January last year there was an incident of indecent assault by a U.S. soldier; and in the central region of Okinawa Island in April last year there was an incident of attempted rape by a civilian in U.S. military employ. Governor Tamaki spoke about the repeated incidents, concluding that “It must be said that the system for educating and managing U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa is extremely insufficient.”

(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)

 

Go to Japanese 


　


Previous Article:
Next Article:

[Similar Articles]