U.S. Soldiers Questioned in Okinawa Rape
June 29, 2001 -- Several U.S. servicemen were questioned today by authorities investigating the alleged rape of a young Japanese woman on the island of Okinawa.
One suspect, an enlisted sergeant from the 353rd Special Operations Group based at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, is being held by the U.S. Air Force and Japanese police questioned six others, believed to be witnesses to the incident, military sources told ABCNEWS.
The alleged rape took place at around 2:10 a.m. local time in a parking lot next to a pub where the suspect and the woman had been drinking in the central Okinawan town of Chatan, U.S. military sources said. Police believe six other servicemen witnessed the incident, intervened and tried to stop it.
"We believe the act was carried out by one man, believed to be a foreigner," an official of the Okinawa police, who declined to be identified, told Reuters earlier today. "But there may be others who cooperated."
U.S. Military Promises to Cooperate With Police
The investigation comes on the eve of newly elected Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the United States for his first meeting with President Bush.
"I have heard that such an incident occurred but have not heard the details," Koizumi said at a news conference. "After hearing the facts, we should act if we must. … But regarding such crimes, both sides have to take measures to ensure that these don't happen."
The U.S. military said it was cooperating with Okinawan authorities and the Japanese government in the investigation.
"We are aware of the allegations of an incident on Okinawa," a U.S. military spokeswoman said Thursday night. "Our military commanders are cooperating fully with the government of Japan and the Okinawa police to assist in their investigation. Our military is facilitating making military members available to the police."
The woman, who is in her 20s, told authorities she was surrounded by several foreign men and that one of them raped her, Shoichi Shinzato, a spokesman for the Okinawa state police, told The Associated Press.
The woman did not say what country they appeared to be from, but an unidentified passer-by told police the men appeared to be U.S. military men. The witness indicated that several of the men sexually attacked the victim in a parking lot, and then fled in a vehicle, Shinazato said.
U.S. Servicemen Not a Welcome Presence
The American military presence on Okinawa is a legacy of World War II. Military officials and lawmakers from both parties believe staying in Japan is vital.
But past crimes committed by U.S. soldiers against Okinawan residents have fueled anger and resentment. The biggest case involved the gang rape of a 12-year-old schoolgirl in 1995 by two U.S. Marines and a sailor. The attack sparked the biggest anti-U.S. demonstrations in Japan in decades.
Last year, just before an official visit by then-President Clinton, an American soldier was arrested after entering the home of a Japanese family on the island in the middle of the night, getting into the bed of a young girl and molesting her. The U.S. military responded by imposing a drinking ban and a late-night curfew on all service members.
That case sparked protests on the island along with demands for the reduction in U.S. military bases there. Clinton expressed regret for misconduct by American service members.
In Tokyo, government officials said they were awaiting the findings of the police investigation. "If the reported case is true, it's greatly regrettable and we should lodge a strong protest and necessary steps must be taken," Koji Ommi, the Japanese Cabinet member in charge of Okinawa, said during a news conference in Tokyo.
The alleged attack also happened just before the U.S. Kadena Air Base is set to begin an annual weekend festival in which the base would be opened to thousands of Japanese to promote good will and friendship between the community and U.S. forces.
ABCNEWS' Barbara Starr at the Pentagon contributed to this report.