1 week Ago
Prosecutors originally asked for a 10-year sentence, but the court ordered a seven-year term, noting the victim's stability and his credible testimony. The assault was "vicious," Judge Kazuhiko Obata said in calling Kwon to the bench, adding that the victim was choked for one to two minutes. The woman suffered injuries to the eye sphincter that took two weeks to heal.
Incidents That Followed Raise Temperature
The case is part of a distressing string of sexual assault cases among US service members in Okinawa. Just in 2024, there have been four such cases, including that of US airman Brennon Washington who was sentenced in December to serve five years for the rape and kidnapping of a minor.
Okinawa, which hosts more than half of the 54,000 United States troops in Japan, has over decades been a flash point for tension between residents and the American military personnel here. Protesters have taken to the streets in previous decades, most prominently in 1995 after a 12-year-old girl was raped by US personnel.
Wider Frustrations Over Military Presence
In addition to criminal cases, the people of Okinawa have been angered by noise, pollution and safety risks connected to the heavy U.S. military presence on the island. Although Japanese and American officials are reportedly considering moving bases to more sparsely populated regions, many local residents are calling for their eradication.
Yet Japan's military alliance with the United States is still indispensable, particularly given regional threats from China and North Korea. Experts say the relationship's strategic importance means a complete US force pull-out from Okinawa is hardly likely.
