Austin keeping close eye on U.S. troops' sex crime cases in Okinawa

KYODO
July 3, 2024

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is closely tracking the cases of U.S. military personnel accused of committing sexual crimes in the southern Japan island prefecture of Okinawa, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday, amid renewed anti-base sentiment among local residents.

Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder said the United States regrets such incidents and is working closely with Japanese communities to deal with their concerns over the cases, in one of which a U.S. Air Force serviceman has been charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 16 in the prefecture.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is pictured at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on July 2, 2024. (Anadolu Agency/Getty/Kyodo)

"The alleged behavior of those members does not reflect the core values of the U.S. military, nor does it represent the conduct of the overwhelming majority of Japan-based personnel that we have forward deployed," Ryder said at a press briefing, when asked if Austin had spoken to his Japanese counterpart and how the cases might affect Washington's alliance with Tokyo.

Without answering whether Austin had reached out to the Japanese government, the spokesman said, "We are deeply troubled by the severity of the allegations and we regret the anxiety this has caused. Japan is one of our closest allies."

He added that U.S. military units are cooperating with local authorities to investigate the allegations thoroughly, based on "applicable laws and agreements."

Ryder's remarks followed last week's revelation that a U.S. Marine in his 20s was arrested in late May on suspicion of attempted rape resulting in the injury of a woman, which came just days after news broke about the airman's indictment in March.

The two cases were kept secret by U.S. and Japanese authorities until Okinawa media uncovered them, fueling anger among local residents.

The Marine was indicted in mid-June and the Okinawa prefectural police said the two cases were not publicly disclosed to protect the privacy of the victims.

Japan's Foreign Ministry knew of the cases but did not notify the Okinawa prefectural government and the Defense Ministry.

Okinawa, which was returned to Japan from U.S. control more than half a century ago, has become more strategically important for the two allies in the face of China's military buildup and because of the prefecture's proximity to Taiwan.

It is home to the majority of U.S. military facilities in Japan, and accidents and crimes involving U.S. servicemen continue to occur.

In addition to the two cases, Okinawa police officers admitted Tuesday they had not disclosed to the press three more sex-related incidents involving U.S. military personnel.

But they said the cases, none of which have proceeded to trial, were already reported to a special panel of the Okinawa prefectural assembly.

"We have no intention of hiding an incident involving the U.S. military from prefectural authorities," a senior police officer said.