A U.S. Marine who allegedly raped a 14-year-old Okinawa girl was turned over to prosecutors Tuesday in a case that has prompted government officials to voice outrage and warn the incident could affect the Japan-U.S. alliance and the reorganization of U.S. bases in the prefecture.
The arrest Monday of Staff Sgt. Tyrone Hadnott, 38, for the suspected rape of a local junior high school girl Sunday night has rekindled memories of the 1995 gang rape of a 12-year-old Okinawa girl by three U.S. servicemen, an incident that triggered mass resentment against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.
Hadnott, based at Camp Courtney, has reportedly denied the accusation.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.