U.S. Serviceman Indicted in Japan
T O K Y O, July 19 -- A U.S. Air Force senior staff sergeant has been indicted by Japanese prosecutors on charges he raped a woman in Okinawa three weeks ago.
Sgt. Timothy Woodland, 24, is accused of raping the 20-year-old local woman in a parking lot at a shopping and entertainment complex known as the American Village early in the morning on June 29th.
Woodland, who is stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, has denied the charge, claiming he had consensual sex with the woman.
Outrage on the Island
However, Woodland's version of events isn't getting much support on Okinawa, where residents complain of years of abuse, harassment and other problems at the hands of U.S. military personnel.
Six years ago, the island flew into outrage when three U.S. servicemen stationed there were accused of abducting and raping a 12-year-old schoolgirl.
The three soldiers were sentenced to up to seven years in jail, and, as a result, Washington agreed to give "sympathetic consideration" to handing over U.S military personnel to local officials if the crime is considered heinous.
Strained Relations
In this latest case, American officials waited four days after an arrest warrant was issued before surrendering Woodland to local police. U.S. officials said they wanted to make sure his rights would be protected.
In Tokyo last week, there were calls in parliament for a review of the bilateral agreement with the United States, along with criticism of the U.S. military for failing to prevent crimes by its troops.
Roughly 26,000 American servicemen and women, or half the total presence in Japan, are stationed in Okinawa, a subtropical island some 1,000 miles south of Tokyo.
