Naha District Court. (Mainichi)
NAHA, Japan (Kyodo) — A senior U.S. military official apologized to the Okinawa prefectural government on Thursday over a 2024 sexual assault case involving a serviceman, saying the incident had caused anxiety among local residents as well as the victim.
Col. Neil Owens, chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, offered the apology, during a visit to the Okinawa prefectural office, a little over a week after Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton was sentenced to seven years in prison in late June.
Clayton, 22, has been accused of injuring a woman in her 20s by choking her while attempting to rape her. He has since appealed the ruling.
Several sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in the southern Japanese prefecture have come to light since June last year.
Owens’ apology was the first formal one from U.S. forces to the prefectural government following the incidents, according to local officials.
The U.S. military suggested continuing a joint patrol with Japanese police as a measure to prevent a recurrence of sexual crimes.
“It was a vicious incident that ignores the human rights of women,” said Masahito Tamari, director general of the Okinawa governor’s office, adding he could not help but question the internal governance of the U.S. forces.
According to the Naha District Court’s ruling, Clayton choked the woman from behind in Yomitan in May 2024 and attempted to have sexual intercourse by unbuttoning her pants. She suffered eye injuries that required about two weeks of treatment.
The prefecture hosts the bulk of U.S. military installations in Japan, and anti-base sentiment runs deep due to aircraft noise, pollution and crimes committed by American service members.
AloJapan.com