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Japan Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
A senior officer of the U.S. Marine Corps on Thursday apologized to Okinawa Prefecture over a recent conviction of a Marine for sexually assaulting a woman in the prefecture. This marked the first direct apology from the U.S. military to the Okinawa Prefectural Government for a series of sexual crimes committed by U.S. servicemen in the prefecture since last year. "We apologize for the anxiety that this has caused the people of Okinawa, and our thoughts are with the victim in this case," Col. Neil Owens, chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, said at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha. Owens also explained efforts to prevent a recurrence, such as strict regulations on nighttime outings and drinking by members. "We cannot help but feel strong indignation because (the offenders) ignored women's human rights and dignity," Masahito Tamari, head of the Okinawa governor's office, said in response to the apology. He criticized the series of incidents involving U.S. servicemen, saying, "It's very regrettable that we have no choice but to have doubts about the enforcement of discipline and the education of officials." Last month, the Naha District Court sentenced Marine Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, to seven years in prison over nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury to the woman in May last year. Clayton has appealed to the Naha Branch of Fukuoka High Court.
Los Angeles Times
25-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Japanese court convicts a U.S. Marine in sexual assault, sentencing him to 7 years in prison
TOKYO — A Japanese court has found a U.S. Marine guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on Okinawa and sentenced him to seven years in prison, in a case that has triggered anger and safety concerns on Japan's southern island, which has a heavy American troop presence. The Naha District Court said Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, of Ohio, was sentenced in the case on Tuesday. Clayton was found guilty of attacking the woman in her 20s in the Yomitan village on the main Okinawa island in May, 2024, chocking her from behind, sexually assaulting her and causing her injuries. In sentencing, Judge Kazuhiko Obata said the victim's testimony, provided remotely and anonymously, was highly credible even though the defendant denied his charges brought by the prosecutors, who demanded 10 years in prison, according to Kyodo News. 'This behavior does not reflect the values of the Marine Corps nor does it exemplify the standards the overwhelming majority of our Marines uphold daily,' Capt. Kazuma Engelkemier, spokesperson for 3rd Marine Division, said in a statement confirming Clayton's conviction emailed on Wednesday. Engelkemier said the U.S. side monitored the trial proceedings without interfering in the Japanese judicial process. 'We cooperated fully with the investigation process,' he said. The Marine has been in Japanese custody since his indictment that followed the allegation, he added. The case was one of a string of sexual assault cases last year in which the arrests of the suspects were initially withheld by local authorities on grounds of protecting the victims' privacy, triggering anger and criticisms of coverups. Okinawa, where one of the fiercest battles of World War II was fought 80 years ago and under U.S. occupation until 1972, remains home to the majority of about 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan under a bilateral security pact. The island, which accounts for only 0.6% of Japanese land, hosts 70% of U.S. military facilities. Frustration runs high on Okinawa because of its continued burden with the heavy U.S. presence that includes noise, pollution, aircraft accidents and crime related to American troops. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, who attended Monday's 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa, raised concerns about recent sexual assault cases involving U.S. service members when he met with Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, the commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, requesting discipline and preventive measures. There has been growing calls for a revision to the Status of Forces Agreement that gives the United States the right to investigate most accidents and crimes that occur on Japanese soil. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba 's Cabinet on Tuesday adopted a statement showing that the Japanese prosecutors dropped criminal cases against more than 300 U.S. service members in the last decade between 2014 and 2024, including a sexual assault case in Okinawa in 2020. Yamaguchi writes for the Associated Press. Reeno Hashimoto in Tokyo contributed to this report.
CTV News
25-06-2025
- CTV News
Japanese court convicts a U.S. Marine in sexual assault, sentencing him to 7 years in prison
Judicial members including Judge Kazuhiko Obata, center back, for a sexual assault case of a U.S. Marine sit at the Naha District Court in Okinawa prefecture's Naha, southern Japan, Tuesday, July 24, 2025. (Japan Pool/Kyodo News via AP) TOKYO — A Japanese court has found a U.S. Marine guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on Okinawa and sentenced him to seven years in prison, in a case that has triggered anger and safety concerns on Japan's southern island, which has a heavy American troop presence. The Naha District Court said Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, of Ohio, was sentenced in the case on Tuesday. Clayton was found guilty of attacking the woman in her 20s in the Yomitan village on the main Okinawa island in May, 2024, chocking her from behind, sexually assaulting her and causing her injuries. In sentencing, Judge Kazuhiko Obata said the victim's testimony, provided remotely and anonymously, was highly credible even though the defendant denied his charges brought by the prosecutors, who demanded 10 years in prison, according to Kyodo News. 'This behavior does not reflect the values of the Marine Corps nor does it exemplify the standards the overwhelming majority of our Marines uphold daily,' Capt. Kazuma Engelkemier, spokesperson for 3rd Marine Division, said in a statement confirming Clayton's conviction emailed on Wednesday. Engelkemier said the U.S. side monitored the trial proceedings without interfering in the Japanese judicial process. 'We cooperated fully with the investigation process,' he said. The Marine has been in Japanese custody since his indictment that followed the allegation, he added. The case was one of a string of sexual assault cases last year in which the arrests of the suspects were initially withheld by local authorities on grounds of protecting the victims' privacy, triggering anger and criticisms of coverups. Okinawa, where one of the fiercest battles of World War II was fought 80 years ago and under U.S. occupation until 1972, remains home to the majority of about 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan under a bilateral security pact. The island, which accounts for only 0.6% of Japanese land, hosts 70% of U.S. military facilities. Frustration runs high on Okinawa because of its continued burden with the heavy U.S. presence that includes noise, pollution, aircraft accidents and crime related to American troops. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, who attended Monday's 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa, raised concerns about recent sexual assault cases involving U.S. service members when he met with Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, the commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, requesting discipline and preventive measures. There has been growing calls for a revision to the Status of Forces Agreement that gives the United States the right to investigate most accidents and crimes that occur on Japanese soil. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba 's Cabinet on Tuesday adopted a statement showing that the Japanese prosecutors dropped criminal cases against more than 300 U.S. service members in the last decade between 2014 and 2024, including a sexual assault case in Okinawa in 2020. ___ Reeno Hashimoto in Tokyo contributed to this report. Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press
CNN
25-06-2025
- CNN
US Marine sentenced to 7 years over sexual assault in Japan
Crime Japan AsiaFacebookTweetLink Follow A US Marine has been sentenced to seven years in prison after he was convicted of strangling and sexually assaulting a woman in Okinawa, a Japanese district court told CNN. Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, was accused of choking a woman in her 20s while attempting to rape her in May 2024, according to Kyodo News. He pleaded not guilty and denied having sexual intent or using physical force against her. Clayton's case is the latest in a string of criminal allegations against US personnel in Okinawa. The Okinawa islands, which hosts 32 US military facilities, including some of the largest US military bases overseas, have for years been the center of local protests against American presence. Tuesday's ruling was handed down after prosecutors described the crime to be so dangerous and malicious that it could have endangered the victim's life, public broadcaster NHK reported. Naha District Court Judge Kazuhiko Obata, who presided over the case, described the woman's testimony as 'highly credible' and containing 'a level of specificity and authenticity that would not be possible without her actual experience,' NHK reported. 'The woman was attacked … she believed she would die. Her mental anguish was so great that she is still suffering from the effects of the attack,' the judge added. The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, reported the incident to the police and a friend shortly after it happened, according to Kyodo News. Prosecutors in the case called for Clayton to be jailed for 10 years, but the defense argued for acquittal –– saying the woman's testimony had many questions and was unreliable, according to NHK. In an email to CNN, 3rd Marine Division spokesman Capt. Kazuma Engelkemier confirmed Clayton's conviction. 'This behavior does not reflect the values of the Marine Corps nor does it exemplify the standards the overwhelming majority of our Marines uphold daily,' Engelkemier said. He added the Marine Corps cooperated with Japanese authorities on the investigation and 'monitored the trial proceedings' without interference. Clayton's case is among several recent incidents to draw scrutiny from local Okinawans include the case of a 25-year-old US serviceman, who in December was sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping and raping an underage girl. The incident took place nearly 30 years after three US servicemen raped a 12-year-old Okinawa school girl in 1995 –– which triggered backlash against the US military's presence. The 2016 rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman by a former US base worker in Okinawa triggered mass protests in the islands' capital, with tens of thousands of residents demanding the US move its bases outside of Okinawa. The fallout resulted in curfews for US personnel on the island. The Japanese government and the US Forces Japan in late April announced the creation of a new forum to 'enhance US-Japan cooperation' in Okinawa. A statement from the May meeting noted that a 2016 'Okinawa Orientation Overview' for incoming US personnel would be updated, and that more joint patrols, in areas outside of Okinawa, would be put in place. A Pentagon report published in late April this year showed the number of sexual assault cases across the US military dipped by nearly 4% last year. According to the report, there were 8,195 reported cases of sexual assault involving US servicemen in 2024, compared to 8,515 the year before. Senior defense officials, however, told the Associated Press that while the decline is a positive sign, the number of sexual assault reports is still too high.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- The Independent
Japan jails US marine for seven years for sexual assault in Okinawa
A US marine has been sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman during his deployment in Japan 's Okinawa. Lance Corporal Jamel Clayton, 22, attacked and choked the woman from behind and tried to have sex with her, the Naha district court in Okinawa said on Tuesday. The woman, in her 20s, had reported the assault to the local police as well as a friend shortly after it took place in May last year. The US stations about 54,000 troops in Japan and more than half of them are deployed in the Okinawa archipelago, which also hosts 70 per cent of the American military bases in the Asian country. Presiding judge Kazuhiko Obata said the soldier's behaviour was 'so dangerous that it could have threatened her life and was highly malicious'. The court noted that blood spots found in the woman's eyes after the assault matched a forensic scientist's findings that such an injury could only be caused by compressing the neck continuously for one to two minutes. Her injuries took two weeks to heal. The prosecutors had sought 10 years of jail for the accused, Stars and Stripes, an outlet covering US military news, reported. The marine had denied the charges and his defence pointed to the woman's 'intoxication' and inconsistencies in her testimony during a trial earlier this month. However, the presiding judge ruled the victim's evidence was trustworthy as she had reported the incident to police immediately and sent a message to her friend detailing the incident which matched her testimony. The court said Clayton had assaulted the woman for sexual purposes, The Japan Times reported. "The emotional pain she felt, including fear, was tremendous," the presiding judge said, according to the newspaper. The judge asked Clayton to deeply repent his action in prison and spend a quiet life after getting out. The US relinquished control of Okinawa and returned the prefecture to Japanese ownership in 1972 but retained a heavy military presence. It currently has an estimated 30,000 soldiers stationed in Okinawa. Last year, Okinawa residents and the island's governor, Denny Tamaki, said they had long complained about accidents and crime related to the foreign military bases as they expressed anger over a lack of disclosure. In June last year, Japan's government protested to the American embassy over at least two sexual assault cases involving US servicemembers on Okinawa. One, it later turned out, was the case involving Clayton. In the other, an airman was accused of assaulting a 16-year-old girl in December. In 1995, the rape of a 12-year-old by three US servicemembers sparked massive protests against the American military presence on Okinawa.
