US Marine arrested in Okinawa for murder and robbery of Japanese woman
A 20-year-old US Marine has been arrested in Okinawa after a Japanese woman was found dead at a hotel in Naha. Japan has lodged a formal protest with the United States.
US Marine held in Okinawa over hotel killing and wallet theft
A 20-year-old US Marine stationed in Okinawa has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 39-year-old Japanese woman and stealing her wallet at a hotel in Naha on Saturday, cbsnews.com reports. Local police confirmed the arrest on Sunday; the suspect has denied the allegations.
A police spokesman told AFP that the Marine allegedly "killed the 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha and stole her wallet on Saturday." CCTV footage from near the scene, cited by public broadcaster NHK and other Japanese media outlets citing investigation sources, showed a foreign man entering a hotel room with a woman and later leaving with her belongings. Police identified a man matching the description, asked him to accompany them voluntarily to a local police station, and arrested him there, NHK reported.
The woman's brother, speaking through local police and quoted by the Asahi Shimbun, said: "We have lost a family member and are deeply saddened. My parents, in particular, are utterly devastated at the loss of their daughter."
Newly elected Okinawa Governor Genta Koja told reporters, as quoted by the Associated Press, that "the case deals a major shock and adds fear to the Okinawans who have already been forced to live next to U.S. bases." He described the alleged crime as "absolutely unforgivable."
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan had lodged a formal protest with US authorities and called the incident "exceptionally brutal and vicious." She urged Washington to "provide maximum cooperation with the investigation, enforce stricter discipline among U.S. military personnel, and take thorough measures to prevent the recurrence of similar crimes."
The US Embassy in Tokyo confirmed it was aware that a US service member was in police custody and said it is "communicating and cooperating" with Japanese authorities. "We extend our sincere condolences to the victim's family," the embassy said on social media. US Ambassador to Japan George Glass said he had spoken with Japan's foreign ministry and Okinawa's governor, "pledging full cooperation as the investigation continues."
The US Marine Corps confirmed in a statement to the AP that the suspect is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force on Okinawa and that it is fully cooperating with Japanese authorities. "The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior," the statement said.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that "incidents and accidents involving U.S. military personnel cause great anxiety among the local community and must not be allowed to happen."
The US maintains around 54,000 military personnel in Japan, the majority of them on Okinawa, which remained under US administration from the end of World War II until 1972. Crimes committed by US personnel — including rapes, assaults and drunk-driving incidents — have repeatedly strained relations between the two allies. Arrests related to US service members and their families exceeded 100 last year, according to prefectural police.
The latest incident follows a series of high-profile cases on the island. Last year, a Japanese court sentenced a US Marine to seven years in prison for choking and attempting to rape a woman in her twenties. In 2017, a former US Marine and civilian base worker was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a local woman. That same year, US Forces Japan imposed a ban on alcohol consumption for all personnel after an intoxicated US Marine crashed into a vehicle, killing its 61-year-old driver.
The case comes as Prime Minister Takaichi's cabinet pursues plans to expand Japan's military presence on Okinawa and deepen cooperation with US forces on the island.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)