A U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa Prefecture has been accused of sexually assaulting and injuring a local woman, despite U.S. military assurances that measures are in place to prevent such crimes.

Okinawa prefectural police on Jan. 8 referred the case to the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office, accusing the suspect in his 30s of non-consensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury.

According to prefectural police, the man attacked the woman in a room of a building on the main island of Okinawa last November.

The woman, who did not know the Marine, immediately reported the incident to police. The suspect was identified through security camera footage and with the cooperation of the U.S. military, police said.

The suspect remains under the control of the U.S. military.

The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Japan and the United States stipulates that when a U.S. service member causes an incident while off-duty, the Japanese side’s jurisdiction is prioritized.

However, if the U.S. side has the service member in custody, it can hold the suspect until indictment.

If Japanese authorities request custody of the suspect, the U.S. side can give “favorable consideration” to a handover, even before indictment.

Prefectural police did not clarify if they had requested custody of the Marine, saying only that they had conducted all necessary investigations in cooperation with the U.S. military’s investigative agency.

Police also informed the prefectural government of the case after it referred the Marine to the prosecutor’s office.

Last year, when several sex crimes tied to U.S. military personnel were reported, the prefectural government expressed outrage that it had not been swiftly informed about the cases by police or the central government.

The prefecture learned about one of the attacks through a media report.

The notification process was reviewed last year.

But the underlying problem—sex assaults by U.S. personnel—remains.

U.S. COUNTERMEASURES IN QUESTION

In 2024, four U.S. servicemen in Okinawa Prefecture were arrested on suspicion of committing sex crimes, the highest annual number over the past 10 years. (One suspect was not indicted.)

The Okinawa prefectural assembly unanimously adopted resolutions and letters of protest against the U.S. military and the Japanese central government in July last year.

“It is extremely regrettable. I have asked the U.S. side to take thorough measures to ensure discipline and prevent a recurrence of such incidents,” then Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said.

She also emphasized the Japanese government was working on the problem by asking the U.S. side to take countermeasures.

In July, the U.S. forces in Japan announced measures to prevent sex crimes, including conducting joint patrols with Okinawa police, strengthening sobriety checkpoints, and establishing a forum where the U.S. military and the prefecture could exchange opinions.

In October, the U.S. military announced it was reviewing the Liberty Policy, which regulates activities of personnel outside its bases. It added a provision prohibiting all service members in Japan from entering bars and other alcohol-serving facilities between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

It said the new provision was intended to strengthen appropriate standards of behavior and to emphasize the importance of being a “good neighbor.”

However, joint patrols and forums have still not been held. And even after the Liberty Policy was revised, incidents of property damage by drunken U.S. soldiers have occurred in Naha and other areas.

Sexual violence by U.S. military personnel has been a problem in Okinawa Prefecture since the end of World War II.

A U.S. military contractor was convicted of raping and murdering an Okinawa woman in 2016.

In December last year, women’s groups in the prefecture held a conference to protest sexual violence by U.S. troops. About 2,500 residents attended, according to the organizer.

GOVERNOR’S ANGER INTENSIFIES

The latest case again fueled the frustration and anger of Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki.

“It is extremely regrettable, and I am furious that there have been as many as five cases of malicious crimes that disrespect women’s human rights and dignity,” Tamaki said on Jan. 8. “We cannot help but have strong doubts about the effectiveness of measures taken by the U.S. military to prevent a recurrence.

“This is a serious situation that calls into question the state of discipline within the U.S. military in Okinawa,” he added.

(This article was written by Satsuki Tanahashi and Kazuyuki Ito.)