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US envoy to Japan apologises over alleged rape by Marine
2008-02-13
The US ambassador to Japan offered a personal apology Wednesday over a US Marine's alleged rape of a young girl in Okinawa, amid warnings that the incident will damage the countries' alliance. US Ambassador Thomas Schieffer flew to the southern island and bowed in front of the governor at the start of a meeting. Schieffer had earlier called the rape allegations "shameful" and promised to help the investigation. Staff Sergeant Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, was arrested on Monday over allegations that he raped a 14-year-old girl in his car on the island, which is home to thousands of US troops. He has admitted trying to forcibly kiss her but denied raping her. News reports on Wednesday said that Hadnott had a Japanese wife and told police he did not know the girl was underage. The incident rekindled memories of the gang-rape in 1995 of a 12-year-old girl by three US Marines, which set off major protests on the island and set in motion a process to reduce the number of US troops there. The Japanese foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned the US embassy's number two over the rape case in the absence of Schieffer, who was on his way back from an overseas trip. The United States stations more than 40,000 troops in Japan under a security treaty to defend its key Asian ally, which has been officially pacifist since World War II. Okinawa, which was under US control from 1945 to 1972, is home to more than half of the troops, and their presence causes frequent friction with local residents. Japanese leaders called Wednesday for strong action, a day after Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said the alleged rape "can never be forgiven." Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima -- a government ally who was more conciliatory towards US troops than his rival when he was elected in 2006 -- called for a "drastic review" of rules surrounding US troops in Japan. "This is a serious crime that violated a girl's rights. This is particularly inexcusable considering the victim is a middle-school student. I feel strong anger," he said before his meeting with the US ambassador. "If this kind of incident continues, public anger will rise and seriously impact the issue of future base relocation," he said. Strong criticism also came from New Komeito, a Buddhist-oriented junior partner in Fukuda's ruling coalition. "This incident affects the foundation of the Japan-US alliance," New Komeito's secretary general Kazuo Kitagawa said. "We demand that the US military as well as both the US and Japanese governments take firm preventive measures." Japanese newspapers also voiced anger, with the Tokyo Shimbun saying in an editorial: "How many times have we had to face such barbarian acts by American soldiers?" US officials have said they would work to improve troops' conduct, saying the military has "zero tolerance" for sexual assault, while pointing out that the vast majority of soldiers behave themselves. The Yomiuri Shimbun said that 32 US soldiers or civilians living on bases in Okinawa had been taken into custody for serious crimes between 1996 and 2006. "Rape is a horrendous crime and we take these allegations very seriously. We are working very closely with Japanese officials on the matter," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Tuesday in Washington. The case came as Tokyo tries to persuade residents of the Okinawan town of Nago to host facilities of the US Marines' Futenma Air Station, which would be transferred from more densely populated Ginowan city. Activists have pressed for the air station to be removed from Okinawa entirely. The US military has already agreed to transfer some 8,000 troops from Okinawa to the US territory of Guam.
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