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U.S. sailor suspected of beating Japanese woman
Incident comes as Okinawa lease renewal due
April 3, 1997
Web posted at: 12:00 p.m. EST (1700 GMT)In this story:
TOKYO (CNN) -- An American sailor was under arrest at the main U.S. naval base in Japan on Thursday on suspicion of beating his Japanese girlfriend in his quarters near Tokyo. There was no evidence of rape, police said.
The development became public as the Japanese Cabinet approved measures to force Okinawa landowners to renew the leases of U.S. military bases on the southern island.
The bill was sent to parliament, where it has support from the largest opposition party, making smooth passage likely. Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto hoped to enact the bill before he leaves for talks in the United States, including an April 25 summit with President Clinton.
The law change would allow the U.S. military to continue running 12 Okinawa facilities on land owned by some 3,000 anti-bases activists who have refused to renew leases which expire on May 14. The contracts in question are mostly for small plots totaling some 36 hectares (89 acres).
A further 29,000 landowners have agreed to renew their leases.
Latest incident not rape, police say
The alleged attack by the sailor could not have come at a worse time both for Hashimoto, who is battling to ensure the future of U.S. military bases in Japan, and U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen, who makes his first visit to Japan next week.
No formal charges had yet been filed over Wednesday's incident, which could cause new tension in U.S.-Japan relations after the widely publicized 1995 gang rape of a Japanese schoolgirl on Okinawa by three U.S. servicemen who are now serving prison sentences.
The island is home to more than half of the 47,000 U.S. troops in Japan.
Police said the attack occurred at Yokosuka Naval Base on the outskirts of Tokyo during an argument between the unidentified petty officer third class, 27, and his 21-year-old Japanese girlfriend.
According to police, the woman told them the couple had dated for about eight months and her injuries happened during an early morning drunken quarrel.
The sailor apparently suffered "a bite to his penis", Navy sources said.
However, police were treating the case as one of assault only. "The results of the medical examination of the victim show no evidence of rape," said. Yokosuka Deputy Police Chief Satoshi Nakajima.
Japanese police notified quickly
In a bid to head off criticism that followed the Okinawa rape case, U.S. military authorities notified Japanese police of the incident within an hour and also allowed police to almost immediately question the suspect.
In the Okinawa case, there were complaints that the U.S. military did not fully cooperate with local police.
Under new legal arrangements worked out since the Okinawa incident, Japanese police have full jurisdiction in the case.
But naval officials said even if police did not decide to prosecute the sailor, the military authorities could take their own action if they felt a case still existed under U.S. law.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- U.S. sailor accused of rape in Japan - April 2, 1997
- U.S. servicemen convicted in Okinawa rape - March 7, 1996
- Okinawa rape case changed dynamics of debate over U.S. military's role - March 8, 1996
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