Photo/Illutration The government building housing the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

NAHA—Prosecutors here have decided not to indict a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa Prefecture who was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a local woman he did not know in November.

Speaking at a Jan. 23 news conference, Daisuke Kodama, deputy chief prosecutor of the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office, said there was insufficient evidence for an indictment.

“After comprehensively assessing the evidence, we decided that it would be difficult to make a case for non-consensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury,” Kodama said.

Prosecutors questioned the Marine, in his 30s, who remained in the custody of the U.S. military, and the woman.

Kodama said the required investigation was carried out with the cooperation of the U.S. military.

Okinawa prefectural police referred the case against the Marine to prosecutors on Jan. 8.

Police began their investigation after the woman reported being assaulted in a building on the main island of Okinawa. The police, with assistance from the U.S. military, identified the Marine from security camera footage.

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