Two US soldiers have been accused of sexual assault in Japan, with Japanese government officials speaking out about what they see as problematic behaviour.
In December, a U.S. Air Force soldier was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl, and this month a Marine was charged with assaulting a woman and conspiring to sexually assault her.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who coordinates administration policy in Tokyo, called the incidents “deplorable.”
“this is [be] We take this very seriously,” he said at a press conference on Friday.
Airman Brennon Washington, 25, was indicted in March on charges of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl.
According to Japanese media, Washington invited her to a park in Okinawa in December and then got into his car, after which he allegedly drove her to his home and sexually assaulted her.
Okinawa is home to about 70 percent of the U.S. military bases in Japan. Okinawa Vice Governor Takekuni Ikeda met Thursday with Kadena Air Base’s 18th Air Wing commander, Gen. Nicholas Evans, and the U.S. consul there to confirm that measures are being taken to prevent further action.
The Hill has reached out to the 18th Wing for comment.
In a separate incident on Okinawa, Marine Corps Corporal Jamel Clayton, 21, was indicted this month on charges of strangling a woman and attempting to sexually assault her on May 26, according to Japanese media.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki told local reporters on Friday he was “outraged” by the alleged crimes.
“This despicable crime has once again come to light, causing deep concern for the people of Okinawa,” he said, according to multiple Japanese media reports.
