Japan to Demand U.S. Hand Over Marine in Rape Case

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, June 16, 2003

Japan to Demand U.S. Hand Over Marine in Rape Case

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Japan said Monday it would demand the U.S. military hand over a Marine suspected of raping a 19-year-old woman in Okinawa, a case that looks set to fuel resentment of the military's presence on the southern island.

The latest allegation, which follows several high-profile criminal cases involving U.S. soldiers stationed there, comes at a delicate time given Washington's plan to overhaul its military forces in Asia, of which about a quarter are based in Okinawa.

Police in Naha, Okinawa's capital, said they had obtained an arrest warrant from the local court for U.S. Marine lance corporal Jose W. Torres, who allegedly raped a Japanese woman after punching her in the face in the early hours of May 25.

The 21-year-old Marine, whose hometown was withheld, was being held in U.S. military custody.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said in a statement that Japan would demand U.S. authorities hand over the suspect before he was indicted.

Kawaguchi also said she had told U.S. ambassador to Japan Howard Baker that the incident was "truly regrettable" and called for tighter discipline for the U.S. military as well as steps to prevent similar incidents.

Japan's Kyodo news agency quoted police sources as saying earlier that the American serviceman admitted to punching the woman in the face but denied raping her, saying the relationship with the woman was consensual.

Under the Status of Forces Agreement governing the conduct of the U.S. military in Japan, the United States need not hand over suspects until they are charged by Japanese prosecutors, except in the case of "heinous crimes" such as rape and murder.

Since the high-profile rape in 1995 of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemen, Washington has agreed to consider requests in serious cases.

The delay in the handover of rape suspects in previous cases involving U.S. servicemen has set off anger in Okinawa and rekindled calls to revise the agreement.

Source: Agencies

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