Photo/Illutration Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi at a news conference on July 3 (Takeshi Iwashita)

The central government on July 3 revealed three new cases of suspected sexual assault involving U.S. servicemen in Okinawa Prefecture that were not disclosed to the media or the prefectural government.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the government’s top spokesman, said at a news conference that the suspects in all three cases were not prosecuted.

Hayashi’s announcement means that at least five sex crime cases involving U.S. servicemen in the prefecture since last year were not made public, including the suspected kidnapping and sexual assault of a minor.

The suspects in the two earlier revealed incidents, which occurred in December last year and May this year, have been indicted by the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office.

Okinawa prefectural police and central government officials said these two cases were not immediately disclosed to protect the privacy of the victims.

Hayashi said the three other incidents occurred in February and August 2023 and January this year.

But he declined to provide details.

“It is extremely regrettable that sex crimes have been committed by U.S. military personnel,” he said. “It is a cause of great concern to local residents, and we will take every opportunity to request the U.S. side to thoroughly prevent such incidents and accidents.”

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