Title: Japan Rape Case
S.R.P. - February 13, 2008 11:13 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| US envoy sorry over Japan rape case by Harumi Ozawa Wed Feb 13, 9:27 AM ET NAHA, Japan (AFP) - The US ambassador to Japan offered a personal apology Wednesday over a US Marine's alleged rape of a young girl in Okinawa, amid warnings that the incident could damage the countries' alliance. ADVERTISEMENT US Ambassador Thomas Schieffer flew to the southern island and bowed in front of the governor, pledging cooperation "to ensure that justice is done" in the case. "Every American in Japan today, whether they are military or civilian, wants the little girl and her family to know that we are thinking of her and hoping that she will soon recover from this traumatic experience," Schieffer said. Staff Sergeant Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, was arrested on Monday over allegations that he raped a 14-year-old girl in his car on the island, which is home to thousands of US troops. He has admitted trying to forcibly kiss her but denied raping her. News reports on Wednesday said that Hadnott had a Japanese wife and told police he did not know the girl was underage. The incident rekindled memories of the gang-rape in 1995 of a 12-year-old girl by three US Marines, which set off major protests on the island and set in motion a process to reduce the number of US troops there. The United States stations more than 40,000 personnel in Japan under a security treaty to defend its key Asian ally, which has been officially pacifist since World War II. Okinawa, which was under US control from 1945 to 1972, is home to more than half the troops, and their presence causes frequent friction with local residents. The Japanese foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned the US embassy's number two over the rape case in the absence of Schieffer, who was on his way back from an overseas trip. Schieffer, returning from his day visit to Okinawa, also later headed to the foreign ministry to express his sorrow. "I would like to express to you and the people of Japan that we sincerely regret this has happened," Schieffer told reporters before meeting with Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura. "To think a 14-year-old child would be submitted to something like this is just awful," he said. Komura replied that the US military has made promises before. "I understand that the US side has taken a variety or educational programmes to prevent such incidents. But an unfortunate incident happened again, so I must request that you review all these programmes," Komura said. Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima -- a government ally who was more conciliatory towards US troops than his rival when he was elected in 2006 -- called for a "drastic review" of rules surrounding US troops in Japan. "If this kind of incident continues, public anger will rise and seriously impact the issue of future base relocation," he said before meeting with the US ambassador. In Tokyo, 40 demonstrators rallied outside the US embassy carrying a banner reading, "No rape, no base." Japanese newspapers also voiced anger, with the Tokyo Shimbun saying in an editorial: "How many times have we had to face such barbarian acts by American soldiers?" US officials have said they would work to improve troops' conduct, saying the military has "zero tolerance" for sexual assault, while pointing out that the vast majority of soldiers behave themselves. The Yomiuri Shimbun said that 32 US soldiers or civilians living on bases in Okinawa had been taken into custody for serious crimes between 1996 and 2006. The case came as Tokyo tries to persuade residents of the Okinawan town of Nago to host facilities of the US Marines' Futenma Air Station, which would be transferred from more densely populated Ginowan city. Activists have pressed for the air station to be removed from Okinawa entirely. The US military has already agreed to transfer some 8,000 troops from Okinawa to the US territory of Guam. |
But...
BUT...
Wolf-RS - February 13, 2008 11:40 PM (GMT)
Iky said something similar like that on xat and used the same picture.....and WTF with rape these days....
Nekolo - February 13, 2008 11:58 PM (GMT)
"No rape, no base."
??? does that mean if the raping stops there will be no base?
kinda bad news, huh, at least the picture is smexy
??? does that mean if the raping stops there will be no base?
kinda bad news, huh, at least the picture is smexy
Doctah - February 14, 2008 02:28 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Nekolo @ Feb 13 2008, 05:58 PM) |
| "No rape, no base." ??? does that mean if the raping stops there will be no base? kinda bad news, huh, at least the picture is smexy |
They don't want the raping to continue, or ever happen again, really, so they want the American soldiers to move their base out of Japan.
Nekolo - February 14, 2008 02:29 AM (GMT)
ALL THE MILITARY PEOPLE ARE WAPISTS!!!!
Wolf-RS - February 14, 2008 03:26 AM (GMT)
Only because of some rape......all this happened..
Zeratul - February 14, 2008 03:47 AM (GMT)
Only?
Rape is a freaking big deal. It's horrible. It is to me, anyway.
And why exactly would japan let an american base stay there when they rape their teenage schoolgirls? Of course this would jeopardize things.
Why is it that you rarely come across people that think past the surface level? Comments like " Only because of some rape......all this happened.." make me lose faith in humanity.
Rape is a freaking big deal. It's horrible. It is to me, anyway.
And why exactly would japan let an american base stay there when they rape their teenage schoolgirls? Of course this would jeopardize things.
Why is it that you rarely come across people that think past the surface level? Comments like " Only because of some rape......all this happened.." make me lose faith in humanity.
Hawk - February 14, 2008 03:49 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Zeratul @ Feb 13 2008, 11:47 PM) |
| Only? Rape is a freaking big deal. It's horrible. It is to me, anyway. |
I agree. Rape is a big deal, and it's disgusting.
If you want to go super in-depth with it, Rape can be considered a crime against humanity, but this rape wasn't on that kind of scale.
Doctah - February 14, 2008 03:49 AM (GMT)
I think so, too.
Just because you're not sent to jail for as long of a time than if you did a "bigger" crime(i.e. murder), it's still a big deal.
Just because you're not sent to jail for as long of a time than if you did a "bigger" crime(i.e. murder), it's still a big deal.
Divette - February 14, 2008 03:51 AM (GMT)
You can actually get the death penalty over there for raping somebody, so think about that.
Zeratul - February 14, 2008 03:52 AM (GMT)
In all honesty I consider rape to worse than murder, but I'm a weird guy I guess.
[edit]ESPECIALLY child rape...
[edit]ESPECIALLY child rape...
Divette - February 14, 2008 03:58 AM (GMT)
I think in some states you might be eligible for the death penalty if you DO commit rape.
Zeratul - February 14, 2008 04:21 AM (GMT)
Currently, 5 states hold the death penalty for sexual assault of a child in the law books. Louisiana's the only state that has actually executed someone for it, though.
Wolf-RS - February 14, 2008 04:27 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Divette @ Feb 13 2008, 10:51 PM) |
| You can actually get the death penalty over there for raping somebody, so think about that. |
yeah,in the middle east....oh, and did you know it is not considered rape if the male/female enjoyed it.
Hawk - February 14, 2008 04:32 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Wolf-RS @ Feb 14 2008, 12:27 AM) |
| yeah,in the middle east....oh, and did you know it is not considered rape if the male/female enjoyed it. |
Rape is non-consensual intercourse. It has nothing to do with pleasure. Also, many rape attacks involve physical harm, which is terrible.
And I'm not sure is rape is worse than murder, so I'll just say that they're equal.
Nekolo - February 14, 2008 01:00 PM (GMT)
Well... with rape you are just traumatized for like a few years and have some regressing memories, with murder... your dead, you cease to exist, you... are... gone... so Id guess id rather be traumatized that dead, but i guess thats just me...
Wolf-RS - February 14, 2008 01:07 PM (GMT)
Rape is serious but, it is not worse then killing...may be close but not worse
Zeratul - February 14, 2008 10:22 PM (GMT)
I know someone who says they'd have rather died than have to live with the ridiculous emotional scarring. They apparently have recurring nightmares constantly and other undisclosed things that apparently make them wish they were dead.
It's worse than murder for people who have actually gone through it, or so I've been told. I only know one person who's been abused like that, but I've heard some even worse horror stories.
It's worse than murder for people who have actually gone through it, or so I've been told. I only know one person who's been abused like that, but I've heard some even worse horror stories.
Divette - February 15, 2008 03:42 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Wolf-RS @ Feb 13 2008, 11:27 PM) |
| yeah,in the middle east....oh, and did you know it is not considered rape if the male/female enjoyed it. |
How is it rape if the female/male enjoyed it? I'm pretty sure its the same over here.
S.R.P. - February 15, 2008 03:43 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Divette @ Feb 14 2008, 10:42 PM) |
| How is it rape if the female/male enjoyed it? |
That's what he just said. And I think that's called "Sex" in the world.