US soldier has been charged with the kidnapping and rape of a teenage girl in Okinawa, a Japanese island chain that hosts the region’s largest American military base. The case is likely to stoke the long-standing local opposition to US military presence in the Southeast Asian country. At least, 54,000 US soldiers are currently serving their tenure in Japan.
Their anger is also fuelled by sexual assault cases. In 1995, a 12-year-old girl was raped by three US service personnel, sparking months-long protests. The latest allegation also involves a minor, who is younger than 16, the age of consent in Japan.
According to BBC, the 25-year-old Air Force man allegedly assaulted her on 24 December while on duty. He was later identified through security camera footage after the girls’ family reported it. Following a trial, he was charged in late March and has been in the custody of Japanese authorities since then, government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi revealed on Tuesday. “We will continue to request the US side to prevent such incidents at every opportunity,” Hayashi said, adding that US officials were cooperating fully with investigators.