Another American Faces Rape Charges Senior Airman Accused Of Assaulting American Girl On Okinawa
A senior airman has been charged with raping a 14-year-old American girl last month on the southern Japan island of Okinawa, the U.S. Air Force announced Friday.
Tensions between the Okinawans and the U.S. military are already at their highest level ever after the rape in September of a 12-year old Okinawan girl, for which three American servicemen are now on trial.
In the latest allegations, charges of rape, conducting indecent acts, adultery and wrongfully providing alcohol to minors have been filed against Senior Airman Anthony T. Williams Jr., a spokeswoman for Kadena Air Base said.
The spokeswoman, Lt. Tania Dutko, said the rape was first reported by the victim’s school counselor on Dec. 12. Charges were filed Wednesday, and a hearing to determine whether a court martial will be convened is to be held Feb. 7.
She said the victim is the daughter of an Air Force serviceman stationed on Okinawa, but could not immediately provide further details. Dutko did not know Williams’ hometown.
The rape case comes amid increasing calls for the U.S. military to withdraw from Okinawa, which has for decades been one of the United States’ most important military outposts in the Pacific.
Friday’s announcement is the
third report of a rape involving U.S. military personnel on Okinawa since the one in September. No charges have been filed in the other two cases.
Final arguments in the rape trial of the three American servicemen are scheduled next week, and a ruling is expected about three weeks later.
Though American military and government leaders have repeatedly apologized for the September rape, reports of crime involving U.S. military service personnel continue. The issue is expected to top the agenda when President Clinton visits Japan in April.
The military on Okinawa has often been slow in releasing information regarding the rape allegations, and Friday’s announcement only came after the story was reported in the military newspaper Pacific Stars and Stripes.
That report quoted the victim’s mother as saying the military had dragged its feet in the investigation.
The Air Force denied that Friday.