Japan Press Weekly

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2024 June 26 - July 2 [US FORCES]

US Kadena AB commander offers no apology for US soldier’s sexual assault of minor

The Japanese Communist Party Okinawa Prefectural Committee and the JCP prefectural assemblymembers’ group on June 27 filed with the Foreign Ministry's Okinawa Liaison Office a protest against the recently-revealed sexual assault on a minor by a U.S. airman belonging to the U.S. Kadena Air Base, and demanded countermeasures.

The Foreign Ministry’s local office admitted that it was aware of the incident soon after it occurred at the end of December last year.

On the same day, Okinawa Vice Governor Ikeda Takekuni called Brigadier General Nicholas Evans, who commands the 18th Wing at the U.S. Kadena Air Base, and U.S. Consul General Naha Matthew Dolbow to the prefectural government office, and lodged a protest over the incident.

Ikeda handed to the commander and the consul general a letter of protest in the name of Governor Tamaki Denny.

The protest letter denounces the crime committed by the U.S. serviceman as a “grave and malicious violation of the victim’s human rights,” adding, “It is absolutely unforgivable.” The document states that the occurrence of such a crime has caused unrest among Okinawans who are forced to live in close proximity to U.S. bases.

The prefectural government in the protest document urged the U.S. military to prevent a recurrence of a similar crime by immediately implementing effective measures, including the tightening of restrictions on outings and off-base drinking by U.S. military personnel, and to increase military discipline and education of U.S. forces. The prefectural government also urged the U.S. military to offer an apology and provide compensation to the victim without delay.

Evans expressed concern and regret over the incident, but offered no apology.