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Subscribe to RSSTwo U.S. Navy petty officers are in custody in Okinawa in the alleged sexual assault and robbery of a Japanese woman in an incident that could further inflame anti-American sentiment on the strategic Japanese island.
The two sailors followed a 27-year-old woman to her apartment complex where they allegedly raped and robbed her in the parking lot about 4 a.m. Tuesday, authorities in Japan said. A third sailor who reportedly witnessed the assault was taken into custody by Japanese police and later released to the U.S. Navy, according to NBC News.
The sailors were identified as Seaman Christopher Browning and Petty Officer 3rd Class Skyler Dozierwalker, both 23, of the Fort Worth Naval Air Station in Texas, The Associated Press reported.
According to Japan broadcaster NHK World, the woman told police that she was walking home when she was attacked. She said she did not know the men. She suffered a neck injury.
Under the terms of a Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and Japan, Japanese authorities have jurisdiction and the authority to charge and bring the accused to trial. If convicted, the men could also be imprisoned by the Japanese.
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The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS, is conducting a parallel investigation alongside the Japanese in the event the two accused are released to U.S. Navy custody.
The two sailors in custody were on overnight leave and crewmembers on a U.S. Navy cargo plane that was in Okinawa for only a day or two while on a delivery mission, officials told NBC News.
Okinawa prefecture spokesman Susumu Matayoshi said the alleged rape “shocked all Okinawans and is unforgivable,” the AP reported.
Vice Foreign Minister Shuji Kira lodged a protest with U.S. Ambassador John Roos, who promised full cooperation with the investigation, according to the AP.
Okinawa hosts more than half of the nearly 50,000 American troops in Japan. Local opposition to the U.S. bases over noise, safety concerns and crime flared into mass protests after the 1995 rape of a schoolgirl by three American servicemen.
Many Japanese want to see the U.S. airbase moved off the island chain.
NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski contributed to this report.
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if they are guilty, the SOFA will deal with them...twice!
They are scum if this is true.
The Japanese are now our friends, and have been for a long time now.
If guilty, make sure they do 100% of the time they are sentenced to, and put on a sex offenders list for life as well.
My apologies go out to that woman. I hope the U.S. somehow compensates this victim. My heart goes out to her.
It's too bad we don't castrate these types of animals. Hopefully, some sort of good may come from this in that our military leaders brush the troops up on right and wrong when we are guests in another nation.
When not raping, sexual assaulting and intimidating female American soldiers, the American soldiers rape and assault women of the host nation. And in some cases, committed murder to cover-up their crimes.
From Iraq to Afghanistan to Pakistan, the American soldiers are either killing or raping the local civilians with impunity. Okinowa, a peaceful island, has experience too much of the violence that the American soldiers have to offer. Several years ago, a group of US soldiers gang rape a Japanese teen. But she was not the first or last victim as this most recent victim has demonstrated.
In certain nations Americans are viewed not only as violent people but as sexual predators as well. Given the undisputable crime statistic, those opinions may be well justified. In one day the total number of rapes and murder in Los Angeles, Phili, Detroit, NYC, and Chicago exceed the annual total number of rapes and murder in Japan, Singapore, HongKong, Korea, and Taiwan. America has the dubious distinction as having the most prison inmates per capita than any industrialized nation. It is not surprising that several veterans who survived their military tour in the war zones end up shot dead within their own community.
You are not from around here, are you?
The Navy needs to put in programs or something to stop this kind of stuff from going on. I am outraged that this happened and so should the Navy! This has gone on for too long. They cant keep burying their heads in the sand. They need to take a long hard close look at what is going on socially within their military community. Discharge these service members and give them to the Japanese to do with them as they see fit. May they never see the light of day again.
I guess people have never seen the word alleged before?
If guilty, then yes give them the maximum sentence. They damaged this woman's life, and Americas image to the Japanese.
If innocent, well you guys will probably still want them castrated.
The bastards need to keelhauled and then hung. They are scum and should die a painful death. Anyone who rapes a woman has no right to live.
As a former sub sailor, I have never been to Okinawa, but the U.S. Navy has been there since 1945 with the Marines and other branches of our military, and this stuff has been going on since they got there. Sounds like these two or three airdales flew in, got drunk and went on a pussy hunt. The Navy has been doing that since it's beginning, at both foreign and domestic ports, and most of the time the pussy is agreeable, in most bars and institutions that cater to sailors, on weekend liberty. But away from the bars it is another story. The people of Okinawa are not Japanese, and have a very proud tradition and cultural lifestyle, and don't want their children violated by drunk American Service Men, they get truly pissed off. The idiots that did this, regardless of what happened before they were caught, they are now, really screwed. Imagine spending your next twenty years or so, in a Okinawan prison, run by Okinawas, where the guards truly hate you. Could be this woman is related to one or two of the guards even.
Flamethrower I am with you on all counts except this "I hope the U.S. somehow compensates this victim" If these men did what they are accused of, and are convicted, they deserve to bear the full brunt of the punishment. They acted as individuals while off duty.Their acts are criminal and they should be held responsible and punished in the most severe manner allowed by Japanese law if found guilty. But it is not the responsibility of the US government and US taxpayer to compensate the victim! It is the responsibility of the perpetrators.
Maybe we should have japanese-style "comfort girls" shanghaied to sexual servitude to accompany our troops on foreign station.
Yes, this is an unpardonable event and the answer probably is to reduce the overall size of all our armed forces that they may become much, much more selective about who they let in. That would be hard to do in a time of high domestic unemployment but the Soviets bit the bullet in the early nineties, bringing hundreds of thousands of Red Army soldiers home to Russia even when there was not adequate housing for them.
To the Eurocommunist styling himself Wallstreetfatcat: yes we have violent crime here in the USA though the statistics are down from in the past. But we don't have political violence. This is not Greece, Serbia/Kosovo/Bosnia or Spain, thank God. In those horrid lands they practice politics with guns and gasoline bombs not ballots.
MT, there's no such thing as "after hours" when you're on active duty with the armed forces. Those men were part of the US Navy and acted on its behalf even if those acts were criminal under Japanese law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
OF COURSE the United States will pay compensation to the victim. After that, the US government can turn around and try to recover from the perpetrators...if they have any assets which is highly doubtful.
In Japan the sailors can purchase a shorter sentence by giving money to the victim or victims family. If the Japanese turn them over to the Navy, they will go to Leavenworth for decades.
This unfortunate crimes happen once in a while within our military forces, there are scumbags everywhere.
Zheng, I am unaware of such provision in Japanese law. In France they combine the civil and criminal case where damages might be paid to the victim.
This kind of buying off justice would be against public policy anywhere in the USA. It would mean inequality before the law for rich and poor. It would be contrary to our principle of public prosecution. We hold that society is the victim whenever an offense is committed, so prosecution is required even if the individual victim would rather forgive and forget.
And we call the Taliban animals!
People are people regardless of their national and/or religious affiliation. This @!$%# happens from time to time when servicemen are on leave. Its very unfortunate and i hope they hang by their balls if they are found guilty.
They are not however SHOOTING 14 YEAR OLD GIRLS IN THEIR HEADS AT SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY FEEL THREATENED BY WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY!
Yes, we do ..... and rightfully so. What's your point?
Horrible comparison Silver Hammer. We've all read about the heinous acts that some of our military personnel commit, but the it is the Taliban Regime's agenda and strategy to commit as many of these crimes as they can. They have actually used rape as a punishment for a woman who reported being raped, the punishment was handed down by Taliban leaders and viewed as justice. They have forced a woman that was raped by her cousin's husband to marry her rapist, or face the death penalty for having sex outside wedlock. These few NAVY individuals will be investigated by Japanese and NCIS, and if found guilty it will not be viewed as acceptable by either party.
PS. Please stop lowering animals to the Taliban's level.
Maxwell,
There is a difference between a few bad people, who, if found guilty, will be viewed as horrible monsters, and an organization who makes it its mission to do as many of these disgusting acts as possible.
Oh, and you know the difference between accused and guilty right?
I guess everybody forgets what the Japanese did in WWII. Maybe we should move them off the island. They had no problem doing that to many nations in WWII. The Japanesehave never admitted their acts in the war, why should we care. Many Americans were beheaded and in Unit 731 and some were skinned alive including women. The comanders were never punnished for that. It's called Karma.
Rob Roy: The overwhelming majority of Japanese living today were born AFTER the war and, with few exceptions, those who were born before or during the war were children at the time. The Japanese who were old enough be able to remember the war, were, nevertheless young and powerless.
Except, Robber Roy, the Okinawans are not Japanese, they are the indigenous peoples of the Ryukyu Islands, they have a very different culture than the Japanese, even after being annexed buy the Japanese during the Meiji restoration in 1868.
Give them to Japan to be dealt with. Idiots.
They honestly couldn't behave like decent people for a day? I wonder how they would have "amused" themselves if they had to stay a whole week...
Get the sword and cut off their filthy dicks.what the heck do they teach this bastereds at the academy? they deserve the worst.
They probably teach cadets how to spell "bastards", or how to construct sentences without plural nouns and singular modifiers. However, the perpetrators are all enlisted personnel, which makes your question moot.
They the Navy, Damn shure don't teach crimes! Okinawa, a beautiful Island, Beautiful people, I have more memories from being stationed there than any where else in my 30 year career in the Navy. The Criminal tribunal of Okinawa will deal with them. I hope they like Fishheads and rice, because thats all a criminal gets in prison in Okinawa. If convicted, they will be turned over to the Okinawan prison system. Life expectencies are not good in their prison. To increase the expectation of surviving prison in a Okinawan prison Their Families in the USA are expected to send money to help feed them. If the families don't, they could very well starve to death.. Idiots who will pay the price. Crimes against any person is a really bad thing there. You are considered the low of the low if you commit a crime such as rape. I hope they like their stay on okinawa as it will be the longest day of their lifes. My sympathies go out to the victim, no woman deserves this shame. She will be ousted by her family as, a Not wanted. Her family will never speak to her because of this incident.
In Japan?
It's not so bad as just fish heads and rice. They also get soup made from boiled cabbage. And green tea.
jshaw2...the accused are PETTY officers ..that means they were NON-COMMISIONED officers..ya' know a petty officer is equivalent in rank to a sargeant or an E-4 thru 9 they are of thee ENLISTED ranks, academy graduates are COMMISSIONED officers ya' know like an ensign or a butter bar 2nd lieutenant and are O1-6 colonel/captain(Navy) O7 and above are congressional promotions thats the generals and admirals..obviously you never served and don't have clue about military struture and organisation and I recall being briefed when I went overseas is that double jeopardy is the rule for crimes committed off base...host country gets 1st dibs for off base crimes then Uncle Sam gets 2nds after the sentence is completed in the host country , but crimes committed on the base are considered to be on sovereign US soil so only the UCMJ applies their....let the chips fall where the truth is...you should know the deal by the time you reach the NCO ranks ??? at least I did ! even before...if they're found guilty , it will be a long long time before they see freedom , 20-30 years or more between Japan and Leavenworth..I know a little bit about this since I escorted a prisoner from Mildenhal UK to Mcguire AFB after he had served 12 years in Reading prison in the UK for rape when I was going home to discharge..he was on his way to LVNWTH for quite a spell plus a dishonorable discharge..plus no doubt sex predator registration these days...if these sailors are found guilty ..they're then rightfully screwed turds forever
Pigs. They have besmirched the US military and our entire country. Hope they spend the rest of their lives in Leavenworth.
And I personally do not doubt the woman's story. Japanese women would be so ashamed to be the victim of such a crime, and are so honest that it is highly doubtful that any of them would lie about such a thing.
Yeah, Japanese never lie, sure.
I dont doubt her either, but Id say that is a very ignorant comment.
The Okinawans are not Japanese, they are the indigenous peoples of the Ryukyu Islands, they have a very different culture than the Japanese, even after being annexed buy the Japanese during the Meiji restoration in 1868. They have a different language than Japanese even though it is almost a historic language by now.
typical american arrogant b de--the japanese dont want us there--in fact no one in the world does---only maybe israel.hanmg these two a ---holes
Typical illiterate and uneducated Anti-American spokesman. There are many true and valid subjects you could criticize America for, but you swung and missed on this one. Did you know that many countries across the world actually pay our military to setup bases or missile defense systems? Japan is one of those countries paying for a missile defense system and that our NAVY is a critical piece of their missile defense system? But who cares about the facts when it's so much easier to lie and spout bigotry.
One thing you are right about though, if these two are found guilty, hang them or worse.
The Japanese in Okinawa already have custody of the two. Assuming they are found guilty, they will receive a prison sentence. Japanese prisons are fairly humane particularly when compared to American prisons. But it is like being in military boot camp. They can do nothing (and I do mean nothing - use your imagination) without first asking permission. On occasion, I see American prisoners at the base hospital here in Yokosuka. They are in jump suits with hands tied together and tied to a waist band which has a leash held by one of the two guards escorting them. Again, assuming they are guilty, they will pay for their crime which doesn't lessen the pain of the victim but it's the best society can do. -JJM
Do you know what the penalty is if they are found guilty? I have no clue what the sentencing in Japan is like.
They belong in a US military prison being beaten on a daily basis by sadistic Marine guards.Japanese prison is too easy for those Low Lifes
A serviceman convicted of a crime in a civilian jurisdiction is tried and sentenced in the civilian court. Then the military court has a go at them. The sentences are served sequentially if I'm not mistaken.
Let Japan deal with them, the USA would slap them on the hands, kick them out of the Military and it will all be forgotten.......wonder how many more these two monsters RAPED and got away with it~I would bet since they are
officers, they RAPED some of the women in their command as well....OFF WITH THEIR PENIS~
They are not officers!!!
These sailors are not fit to wear the uniform.They disgust me for raping and robbing an innocent young lady.Many of the Japanese people would love to see us close up our base due to thugs like these three.I am embarrassed and ashamed of our country for having these three men in a naval uniform.
I went to grad school and lived in Japan and I still couldn't imagine what prison there was like. If the sailors did what they are accused of sayanara, meaning good-bye forever. I personally would have rather walked in an Al Qaeda facility with a bomb attached then spend a day in a Japanese prison. The idiots deserve everything they get if found guilty.
You have no idea what Japanese prisons are like. Why comment?
Don't these American servicemen understand that they are not actually serving America nor the interest of Japan while they out not only embarrassing themselves, but also embarrassing the United States and making enemies rather than allies?
I wish these American rapists would be judged and sentenced by the Japanese, because our own judicial system in American is even more embarrassing.
I guarantee that those service men are scared to be prosecuted by the Japanese, hopefully future commanders will let their men know that they cant go running back to the base and escape prosecution.
“If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing ... " - The Akin Mantra
as apposed to non-legitimate rape which is ok in their books.
You knew there would be one @!$%# that would bring this up...
Not really. It shows we have knuckle-draggers at the top too.
Grendels <><> Give it a rest !!! Todd Akins' wording was very awkward, kinda like President Obama's statement that he had visited 57 states. Mr. Akins has acknowledged the poor choice of wording and has apologized for it. President Obama has yet apologized for stating on television that those who voted against him did so because of racism. Don't tell me he didn't say it. I was watching and I heard it.
I am beginning to get the impression that the generation of Japanese military men during WW II are beginning realize the shock and barbarism felt by the comfort women during the war particularly the Filippina , the Chinese and Korean Women and some Dutch women who were captured in Malaysia.
It used to be the other way round. The sailors were followed to an apartment and then rolled for their money. Hence the introduction of the $2 bill. Navy was paid in these bills encase someone was rolled and robbed the money could be traced.
My how things have changed.
the problem seems to be that the military will take whoever enlists. they need to do some background checks before accepting p++++s like these. give them to the japanese and forget about them. better yet- turn them loose in okinawa at a specified time. i am sure someone will pick them up and hang them. it is what they deserve if the story is correct.
If this turns out to be true. A dis-honorable discharge should come down the pipe immediately. Plus afterwards, turned them over for that country to punish them by their laws.
This is a new era, so I won't speak of what the Japanese did to the Philippina people during World War ll.
The two navy rapists will have themselves raped by japanese inmates when they are in a Japanese prison.
henrich you are just plain stupid.
This is actually far from true. The US is pretty unique in inmates raping each other so much. Other countries think it just makes you gay. Prison rape is not even close to the problem it is in the US.
Being killed in there is a different story, but also pretty rare.
Rape occurs frequently in prison in any nation, not just confined to US. It has come into common usage
to refer to rape of inmates by other inmates. http://www.economist.com/node/18651484
Inmates scorn and despise rapists and child molester who will almost raped by fellow inmates.
Henrich, this is probably one the only times you and I will ever agree on anything!
Agree to disagree.
Affirmative.
These men are a disgrace to the Navy which on the whole have good men and women serving our country. Im hopeful that with a smaller armed service in the future that we can weed out these kinds of men, letting Japan prosecute and jail these men will put other creeps on notice to behave in other countries.
Americans are disgusting. Those 2 should get the death sentence.
I find bigots disgusting not the population of a nation
As a former sailor, I am deeply ashamed and disgusted by these two idiots.
I hope the Japanese give them 50 years to life. They don't belong in society.
John, as a retired sailor I agree with you 100%!
After so many prior incidents of this type thru the recent years, I cant believe US military sailors would be so stupid and uncaring to do such a horrible crime against a japanese woman. No sympathy for these guys and fitting that the SOFA allows Japanese to try them in their own courts. My sympathy is with the victim. I am sorry as an American to hear of such actions.
These guys were from outa town, just flown in for the weekend, not much of a briefing about Okinawan culture, and let loose. The spent all their money on booze, they wanted some more money and pussy. So why not rob some Okinawan young woman of her money, then have their way with her. Now they are doomed, to spend 20-50 years in an Okinawan prison, where the guards hate you, everyday!!
Enough of the @!$%#en Occupation Forces in Japan.Kick them all out,close ALL the bases.
Occupation Forces? you know we are required by treaty to protect Japan and thats one of the reasons we have a large military base there right?
Bruce, go take your medication. It's time to go back to your padded room now. Besides, adults are talking now!
I served in Okinawa 84-85 I helped work hand and hand with Japan's citizens unloading ships checking gear and supplies and reloading ships. It was a honor to serve along side these men. A Marine Corp tank gear shifter got bumped and cut in half a Marine Corp friend of mine between wall and Tank! This disrespect that these men if found guilty committed is the highest level of disrespect a man can commit against a woman. Shame and dishonor to any man who would even consider this act against any woman in the world!
People are missing the point.
Take just the facts:
Two men raped a woman. That pretty much sums it up.
The fact that they are Navy personell and the woman is Japanese is incidental. People will try to use the sailors nationality and Navy connection to stir the pot so to speak but it just boils down to two scumbags committing a horrible crime on this young lady.
Two men raped a woman and so they deserve to rot in a prison for the rest of their twisted lives.
Unfortunately, the case is not just limited to rape and assault. For some reason, Americans serving in Okinawa have developed a sorry reputation for just this kind of misbehavior - and the resultant resentment on the part of the Okinawans is quite real and, frankly, too often justified.
AND IT IS SERIOUS - there are serious problems brewing between Japan and China, over disputed islands, over trade, over patent infringements and currency manipulations, over China's attempt to starve Japan of critical rare earth minerals and over Japan's continued refusal to own up to its misbehavior during WWII and the preceding campaign in China (which yielded, among other horrors, the "Rape of Nanking" - an atrocity which was so bad it actually appalled the Nazis).
Ordinarily, those tensions would draw the US and Japan closer, however, these endemic misbehaviors, on the part of US servicemen in Okinawa, are thwarting that result. While it is inconceivable that the two major powers in the region - and the two, largest economic competitors of China - would fail to unite to control China's aggressive moves in the region (and the world), the fact is that these misbehaviors in Okinawa may well impede that cooperation. That's a high price to pay for a couple of drunken sailors going on a rape spree.
The USA should seriously consider modifying its "Status of Forces" agreement in Okinawa to allow American servicemen, found guilty of these kinds of misbehaviors, to be turned over to Okinawan and Japanese justice. The current perception, regrettably, is that the USA is using that "SoF" agreement to shelter miscreants who prey on the Okinawan populace. A few of these scum having to go to an Okinawan prison would, I suspect, go a long way not only toward healing the rift but also toward discouraging this kind of anti-social actions.