US soldier charged with rape, kidnap of 16-year-old Japanese girl
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Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki calls the allegations "extremely regrettable", emphasizing the need to strongly protest against the US military and other related organizations.
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Construction work off Henoko in Nago, Okinawa prefecture, South Japan, May 2, 2023 (Kyodo News via AP)
A US Air Force soldier was indicted with the alleged rape and kidnapping of a 16-year-old Japanese schoolgirl in December last year, confirmed the Okinawa police to CNN on Wednesday.
25-year-old Brennon R.E. Washington was charged with “non-consensual sexual intercourse” and “indecent kidnapping” on March 27, according to a court spokesperson in Naha. The perpetrator was then turned over to the Japanese authorities by the US military.
Washington was released on bail and is being held in custody at the Kadena US Air Base in Okinawa. He is awaiting trial, which has been scheduled for July 12 at the Naha District Court.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki stated that Washington's crimes "brought a significant level of distrust" to relations and described the allegations as "not just disturbing to prefectural residents but also a violation of the girl's dignity," according to The Mainichi Shimbun.
He also told reporters on Tuesday that the allegations of rape and kidnap were “extremely regrettable", adding it was necessary “to strongly protest against the US military and other related organizations.”
The governor also said his office will “take a tough stance in dealing with the situation.”
The US and Japanese troops, alongside the South Korean military, are currently on a three-day joint military drill codenamed the "Freedom Edge" as part of the three countries' multi-year framework of trilateral defense cooperation.
Japan's opposition to the US military base
In September 2023, Governor Tamaki appealed for international support at a United Nations session to express his opposition to the relocation of a US military base within his region.
However, a Japanese government representative in Geneva promptly raised doubts about Governor Tamaki's position, underscoring the ongoing disagreement over this project, which originates from a 1990s agreement between Tokyo and Washington.
Tamaki addressed the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, stating that the clustering of military installations in the area poses a threat to peace.
"I am here today to ask the world to witness the situation in Okinawa," he said.
Similar to Washington's crimes against the Japanese schoolgirl, three US soldiers also raped a woman on the island in 1995. Additionally, a 20-year-old woman was raped and murdered by a former US base worker, sparking a mass demonstration on the island's capital, urging the US military to relocate their military base outside Okinawa.
