US soldier condemned: 5 years for kidnapping and rape in Japan

US soldier condemned: 5 years for kidnapping and rape in Japan

A US soldier was sentenced to five years in prison after kidnapping and raping a minor girl last year, an official from the Naha District Court on the southw я яоen island of Okinawa CNN shared.

The justification of the judgment

The judgment was made on the basis of the "severe sexual assault", judge Tetsuro Sato of the Naha District Court on Friday, as the public broadcaster NHK reported. "The girl's testimony that she communicated her age through gestures and other means is sufficiently credible due to the security camera recordings," said the judge.

awareness of the age of the injured party

"The accused was aware that the girl was under 16. He knew that the girl might have said 'stop' and did not agree. In view of the relationship and age difference between the two who had never met, it is a crime of great sexual assault that strikes due to his malice," he added.

the case in detail

The US Air Weapons Brennon R. E. Washington was charged on March 27 for "unanimous sexual traffic without consent" and "anecdotic kidnapping" after it was discovered that he had taken a 16-year-old Japanese girl to his accommodation last December, said Japanese prosecutors. On the same day, the US military handed over the 25-year-old soldier to the Japanese authorities.

The reactions of US military management

He was later released for the deposit and transferred to Kadena for custody, a government spokesman CNN said. His process began on July 12th. "We are deeply affected and regret the damage that was added to the victims and their families," said Brigadier General Nicholas Evans, commander of the Kadena Air Base, the local press. "Sexual attacks are a serious crime and in no way reflect the values of the US military personnel."

historical background and possible effects

The incident is the youngest in a number of criminal cases affect US staff in Okinawa, a location of several US military facilities. He could tighten the tensions with the residents who have long been against the presence of American troops and weapons on the island. This is done almost 30 years after the rape of a 12-year-old school girl on Okinawa by three US soldiers in 1995, which led to a huge protest against the US military on the island

protests and measures of the authorities

In 2016, the rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman led by a former US base employee in Okinawa to massive protests in the capital of the island, in which tens of thousands of residents demanded that the United States move its bases outside of Okinawa. The consequences were initial blocks for US staff on the island.

political reactions

In another crime that was involved in Japan, a US Navy officer in 2021 killed two Japanese citizens in an accident on Mount Fuji. Okinawa's governor Denny Tamaki said in June this year that the allegations of rape and kidnapping against Washington were "extremely unfortunate" and that it was necessary to "protest sharply against the US military and other participating organizations". The governor also emphasized that his office would take a strict position in dealing with the situation.

participation and responsibility

"We understand and share the concerns of the local community in relation to this case," said US Air Force 1st Lt. Alvin G. Nelson III, spokesman for the 18th air wing in Kadena, opposite CNN and added that the leadership of the wing was "deeply concerned about the severity of this supposed crime" and work with the local authorities to examine the accusations. "All US soldiers are expected to comply with the highest standards, and the US military undertakes to be responsible for those who are convicted of criminal acts," emphasized Nelson.

Reporting by CNNS Edward Szekeres, Himari Semans, Rinka Tonsho and Lex Harvey.