U.S. soldiers commit annual average of 19 felonies

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

U.S. soldiers commit annual average of 19 felonies

The number of felonies committed by U.S. soldiers in Japan is 19 on average per year.

This was found in a report of criminal offences committed by U.S. servicemen in Japan between 1973 and 2009. The National Police Agency submitted this report in reply to an inquiry from Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken.

The report showed that the number of felony criminal cases, including murders and robberies, was 713, accounting for about 10 percent of the total number of crimes.

Between 2005 and 2008, murders were committed every year. In 2008, eight rape cases were reported.

The Defense Ministry also submitted to Akamine a survey which gives the number of Japanese people killed by the U.S. military in crimes and accidents. According to the survey, up until 2008 after the Japan-U.S. military treaty came into effect in1952, the number of crimes and accidents committed by U.S. military was 3,630 and the average of 19 Japanese died from these crimes and accidents annually.

Of those 3,630 cases, 77% were committed by off-duty U.S. personnel. Basically, the cases were settled out of court between the victims and the U.S. military authorities. So, in many cases, victims had to give up their attempts to obtain justice or accept compensation even it fell far short of their demands.

- Akahata, April 3, 2010