Murder victim's family sues U.S. sailor and Japanese government

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Murder victim's family sues U.S. sailor and Japanese government

The bereaved family of a woman killed by a U.S. sailor filed a civil lawsuit against the soldier and the Japanese government on October 20 with the Yokohama District Court, demanding compensation of 200 million yen.

Under the special civil law to enforce the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, the Japanese government is held liable for the death on the grounds that the soldier's superiors should take supervisory responsibility for having failed to take preventive measures against such a crime.

In a meeting held by the plaintiff's legal team, the victim's husband, Yamazaki Masanori, said that he decided to take legal action so as not to allow similar crimes to be repeated. He said, "I want a victory in court to point the blame where it is due."

In January this year, the U.S. sailor, who was a crew member of the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, beat Sato Yoshie to death and robbed her of cash on a street of Yokosuka City in Kanagawa Prefecture. The Yokohama District Court in June handed down a life imprisonment sentence to the sailor.
- Akahata, October 21, 2006