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US envoy to address Okinawa anger US apology over 'rape' in Japan
(about 9 hours later)
The US ambassador to Japan is in Okinawa in a bid to quell rising anger over the arrest of a US marine who is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl. The US ambassador to Japan has offered an apology to the people of Okinawa and the family of a schoolgirl there who says she was raped by a US serviceman.
Ambassador Thomas Schieffer is also due to meet Japan's Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura later in the day. The marine, who is stationed on the island, denies raping the 14-year-old, but according to police he has admitted trying to force her to kiss him.
The US serviceman denies raping the girl but according to police sources admits touching her in his car. Okinawa's governor has called for a review of the agreement on the status of US bases and personnel in Japan.
In 1995 there were mass protests in Okinawa after three US servicemen raped a 12-year-old girl. Okinawa saw mass protests after three US servicemen raped a girl in 1995.
'Had enough' 'Truly regrettable'
Ambassador Schieffer has flown down to Okinawa, the island that lies to the far south of the rest of Japan, to meet its governor. The US ambassador, Thomas Schieffer, bowed in front of the governor of Okinawa and apologised.
He wants to convey his concern about the case and to reassure officials there that the US will co-operate fully with the investigation. He said it was "truly regrettable" that the incident had occurred.
Later he will hold talks about the issue with Mr Komura, who on Tuesday said the country had "had enough" of crime carried out by US service personnel. "My heart goes out," he said, "to this young girl, to her family and to all of the people affected by this."
Staff Sergeant Tyrone Hadnott, 38, denies raping the 14-year-old girl in his car but he has admitted forcing her down and kissing her. He is now being questioned by prosecutors. He said the US military commander in Okinawa felt just as bad about the situation as he did.
Across Okinawa politicians and civic groups have continued to express their outrage. Three days after the alleged rape took place Marine Tyrone Hadnott, 38, has not been charged.
The decision by the US ambassador to fly down there shows how worried the Americans are that this could again fuel opposition to the presence of so many of their servicemen and women on the island. He has reportedly admitted that he did use force to try to kiss the girl, but he denies raping her, and has told police he did not know she was under-age.
The rape of another schoolgirl by three US soldiers 13 years ago was followed by large anti-American protests on Okinawa. Because he lives outside the base where he works, it has been easier for police to collect evidence from his car and from his house than it might have been.
This time senior Japanese politicians and the Americans appear to be doing all they can to try to show they are taking the alleged incident very seriously indeed, perhaps in the hope that they can prevent similar mass demonstrations. But the governor of Okinawa has still called for a drastic review of the rules that govern the status of US service personnel in Japan.
Japanese newspapers have also expressed anger at the incident.
One newspaper asked how many times the country had to face what it called "barbaric acts" by American servicemen.
The US points out its military has what it calls zero tolerance for sexual assault.