By KUNA
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Tuesday condemned a US Marine’s alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, saying the alleged assault is unforgivable and a serious matter, and similar cases had occurred repeatedly.
Speaking at a parliamentary committee session, Fukuda said, “This can never be forgiven. I take it as truly grave that this kind of incident happened again.” Fukuda said his government will discuss the matter seriously with the US try to uncover the facts and work on efforts to prevent a repeat of such incidents in the future. He added the matter will be dealt with based on Japanese laws and based on evidence.
Tyrone Hadnott, a 38-year-old staff sergeant of Camp Courtney base in Okinawa, was arrested Monday on suspicion of raping a local girl in a parked car Sunday night.
He was transferred to prosecutors from police custody earlier Tuesday.
Hadnott still denies the allegations, according to police.
Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told reporters, “The incident is extremely regrettable. We urged the US to tighten discipline and prevent crimes from happening again,” indicating that the latest crime would affect the US forces’ realignment plan.
Last year, 46 US servicemen were arrested in Okinawa in connection with theft, arson, and other criminal cases.
Japan, which has relied on the US to defend it for almost 60 years, has the largest concentration of US military in Asia, with more than 50,000 troops at bases across the country.
About 75 percent of all US military facilities in Japan are located in Okinawa, the nation’s poorest prefecture. Opposition to the presence of many thousands of American soldiers has remained strong in Okinawa since the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old schoolgirl by three US servicemen, which led to a huge protest against the heavy US military presence on the island.
The 1995 case eventually triggered both countries to agree to relocate the US Marine Corps’ Futemma Air Station and vacate some other US facilities.