December 14 & 15, 2024
The Naha District Court in Okinawa on December 13 sentenced a U.S. serviceman to five years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting an underage girl.
The 25-year-old defendant, Brennon Washington, who belongs to the U.S. Kadena Air Base in the prefecture, was indicted on charges that in December 2023, he lured the girl into his car at a park in the central part of Okinawa’s main island, took her into his home, and raped her, knowing she was a minor under the age of 16.
Following the sentence, Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny issued a comment.
Governor Tamaki denounced the U.S. soldier’s crime as a grave and malicious violation of women’s human rights and dignity, and added, “What is even more unforgivable is that the soldier targeted a minor.” He stated that regarding this case, he lodged a strong protest with the Japanese government and the U.S. military and urged them to take effective measures to prevent a recurrence of a similar crime. The governor expressed his intent to continue requesting Tokyo and the U.S. forces to hold discussions in order to implement prevention measures which are truly effective.
Later in the day, activists of anti-base women’s groups gathered near the prefectural office building. One of them, Iraha Junko, who heads a local federation of women’s organizations, said that the incident occurred because of the presence of the U.S. military bases, and demanded that the Japanese government review the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.
Past related article:
> US Kadena AB commander offers no apology for US soldier’s sexual assault of minor [June 28, 2024]
The 25-year-old defendant, Brennon Washington, who belongs to the U.S. Kadena Air Base in the prefecture, was indicted on charges that in December 2023, he lured the girl into his car at a park in the central part of Okinawa’s main island, took her into his home, and raped her, knowing she was a minor under the age of 16.
Following the sentence, Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny issued a comment.
Governor Tamaki denounced the U.S. soldier’s crime as a grave and malicious violation of women’s human rights and dignity, and added, “What is even more unforgivable is that the soldier targeted a minor.” He stated that regarding this case, he lodged a strong protest with the Japanese government and the U.S. military and urged them to take effective measures to prevent a recurrence of a similar crime. The governor expressed his intent to continue requesting Tokyo and the U.S. forces to hold discussions in order to implement prevention measures which are truly effective.
Later in the day, activists of anti-base women’s groups gathered near the prefectural office building. One of them, Iraha Junko, who heads a local federation of women’s organizations, said that the incident occurred because of the presence of the U.S. military bases, and demanded that the Japanese government review the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.
Past related article:
> US Kadena AB commander offers no apology for US soldier’s sexual assault of minor [June 28, 2024]
