A U.S. Marine is accused of killing a woman in Japan. Here
A woman's murder allegedly committed by a U.S. Marine in Okinawa has triggered public outrage, prompted Japan's premier to slam a "heinous crime" and rekindled controversy over the heavy military presence on the southern island.
Security camera footage showed a man entering the hotel with the woman and later leaving alone.
In the wake of World War II, Japan regained its sovereignty under the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952, but Okinawa remained under American control, making it a hub of U.S. military build-up.
The 1972 return of Okinawa's sovereignty to Japan did little to diminish the number of US bases on the island, leading to the disproportionate burden it is saddled with today.
There has been anger over increasing crime linked to the U.S. military on the island. The number of U.S. military-related criminal cases rose to 101 last year from about 40 in 2020, according to prefectural police.
That rape by three U.S. soldiers in Okinawa fueled widespread calls for a rethink of a 1960 pact that outlined the legal status of Japan-based U.S. military personnel.
People in Okinawa have long opposed the heavy U.S. military presence on the island, but some have come to see its strategic value due to what is widely viewed as a growing threat from China.
Japanese authorities are, for example, hard-pressed to conduct an on-site probe into alleged environmental pollution inside the bases and regulate low-altitude flights of their aircraft.
Even if crimes are committed while off-duty, as long as the individual responsible remains on base, their custody won't be handed over to Japan until they are indicted, according to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
Japanese prosecutors started examining the suspect's case on Monday to determine whether to press formal charges in coming weeks.
In the past, American troops were mobilized from Okinawa to participate in conflicts such as the 1990 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War.
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- A woman's murder allegedly committed by a U.S. Marine in Okinawa has triggered public outrage, prompted Japan's premier to slam a "heinous crime" and rekindled controversy over the heavy military presence on the southern island.
- Security camera footage showed a man entering the hotel with the woman and later leaving alone.
- In the wake of World War II, Japan regained its sovereignty under the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952, but Okinawa remained under American control, making it a hub of U.S. military build-up.
- The 1972 return of Okinawa's sovereignty to Japan did little to diminish the number of US bases on the island, leading to the disproportionate burden it is saddled with today.
- There has been anger over increasing crime linked to the U.S. military on the island. The number of U.S. military-related criminal cases rose to 101 last year from about 40 in 2020, according to prefectural police.