U.S. Marine arrested over rape in Japan's Okinawa

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2008-02-13 07:30am

TOKYO (Reuters) - A U.S. Marine was arrested on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old Japanese girl on the southern island of Okinawa, police said on Monday, triggering anger from an area where the U.S. military presence is widely resented.

A spokesman for the Okinawa Prefecture police said 38-year-old Tyrone Hadnott, based at Camp Courtney on the island, was suspected of raping the schoolgirl when the two were in a car on Sunday. Further details were under investigation, he added.

Kyodo news agency, quoting police, said the marine had denied raping the girl, saying he had only got on top of her and kissed her.

"This kind of crime cannot be forgiven, especially when you remember that the victim is a middle school student," Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima said in a statement. "I feel extremely angry."

Japan is home to some 50,000 U.S. troops, the bulk of them in Okinawa, where many residents have long resented bearing what they see as an unfair burden for maintaining the U.S.-Japan security alliance, a pillar of Japan's post-war diplomacy.

"If this is a crime committed by a member of the U.S. military, it is extremely regrettable and we urge you to maintain strict discipline and prevent a recurrence," the Foreign Ministry quoted a ministry official as telling a diplomat at the U.S. embassy.

U.S. military bases in Japan have long caused complaints from local residents about crime, noise and accidents and in 1995, the rape of a 12-year-old Japanese schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen sparked huge protests in Okinawa.

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Post by **Mr Bean** » 2008-02-13 08:12am

Ok from here on in, we need to switch to a strict death penality only. This is what? One rape every damn year on Okinawa by some US servicemen?

Sure maybe... MAYBE... one of those rapes is a "she changed her mind" types. But I seriously don't think the number of different American's accused of rape each year on Okinawa is anything but some serious issues at the command level.

PainRack · Post by **PainRack** » 2008-02-13 08:39am

What really irks me is the 14 year old bit..... This isn't the first time that accusation of rape has been levelled, and it isn't the first time that the target has been schoolgirls.

Even if we accept the "she changed her mind" idea, WTF are servicemen doing with girls of that age?

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2008-02-13 09:24am

Hand him over to the Japanese and let them fuck him six days from Sunday. That is intolerable.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2008-02-13 09:27am

PainRack wrote:What really irks me is the 14 year old bit..... This isn't the first time that accusation of rape has been levelled, and it isn't the first time that the target has been schoolgirls.

Even if we accept the "she changed her mind" idea, WTF are servicemen doing with girls of that age?

Normally I'd say it's a combo of being late teen, first time away from mommy with booze and Phillipeno hookers (at least used to be don't know about now) being all around. Not that it's an excuse, just the environment when I was over there.

But this asshat is 38 and hardly new and naive. Fuck him, hopes he spends decades in a shitty Japanese prison.

Johonebesus · Post by **Johonebesus** » 2008-02-13 10:34am

Does the U.S. have a policy of handing over service men to Japanese authorities in these instances, or do they insist on trying them in military courts? I hope that it's the former, not just for justice, but for our diplomatic relations.

Post by **Kuja** » 2008-02-13 10:37am

Fucking disgrace.

And as to the thread title, is there another Okinawa we should be aware of?

Xisiqomelir · Post by **Xisiqomelir** » 2008-02-13 11:08am

PainRack wrote:What really irks me is the 14 year old bit..... This isn't the first time that accusation of rape has been levelled, and it isn't the first time that the target has been schoolgirls.

Even if we accept the "she changed her mind" idea, WTF are servicemen doing with girls of that age?

Japan's AoC is 13, so a lot of girls that age are sexually active. A rapist is still a rapist, of course.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-02-13 11:57am

Xisiqomelir wrote: Japan's AoC is 13, so a lot of girls that age are sexually active. A rapist is still a rapist, of course.

Many prefectures have laws which have the age of consent as 17 or higher, and trump Japanese national law in this regard. So chances are she still wasn't legal and it's easily statutory rape at the absolute best.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2008-02-13 11:57am

Kuja wrote:Fucking disgrace.

And as to the thread title, is there another Okinawa we should be aware of?

You've never been to Okinawa, Wisconsin?

dragon · Post by **dragon** » 2008-02-13 12:00pm

Xisiqomelir wrote:
PainRack wrote:What really irks me is the 14 year old bit..... This isn't the first time that accusation of rape has been levelled, and it isn't the first time that the target has been schoolgirls.

Even if we accept the "she changed her mind" idea, WTF are servicemen doing with girls of that age?
Japan's AoC is 13, so a lot of girls that age are sexually active. A rapist is still a rapist, of course.

Doesn't matter the UCMJ which all branches must follow sets the minimal at 16, anything less is considered statutory rape. However if the local law is say 17 then the service member is obligated to follow it and not the 16 in the UCMJ. For those not familiar is the UCMJ, basically its a combination of rules and laws as well as punishments such as the Article 15 non judiciary punishment.

Post by **Beowulf** » 2008-02-13 12:25pm

I think we have a SOFA with Japan, so he should be turned over to Japanese authorities.

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2008-02-13 12:35pm

Not again.

BTW, under the UCMJ, the death penalty is applicable in convictions for rape. If the evidence shows this guy did commit rape-- "guilty until proven innocent" is the rule in rational courts-- then I say we put him in front of a firing squad.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2008-02-13 01:00pm

I saw this and mentioned it to a guy I know who just got out of the Airforce but was stationed on Okinawa once and first he went "AGAIN?!" and then held up his hand and said "Let me guess, a Marine did it", followed by a tirade on how much the Okinawans hate the US because of the Marine Corp folks stationed there treating them.

Johonebesus wrote:Does the U.S. have a policy of handing over service men to Japanese authorities in these instances, or do they insist on trying them in military courts? I hope that it's the former, not just for justice, but for our diplomatic relations.

Well, the famous case that happened in 1995 had the three servicement turned over to Japanese authorities to stand trial, were in a Japanese prison until 2003, and THEN got a dishonorable discharge from the military, on top of the families of the victim paying reparation money. Given that precident, chances are the Japanese are going to try him and fry him, almost certainly because the US failing to turn this guy over would cause major riots.

Civil War Man · Post by **Civil War Man** » 2008-02-13 01:17pm

I agree that the Japanese courts should get first crack at this guy, if only because the US has historically been abysmal at holding US troops accountable for their actions overseas.