The US military is to court-martial four marines accused of the gang rape of a Japanese woman last year, in an apparent attempt to defuse anger over a series of alleged crimes by American servicemen.
Local prosecutors dropped the charges against the men late last year after identifying "inconsistencies" in the woman's account. The US, mindful of the recent furore surrounding its troops' conduct, took the unusual step of beginning its own legal proceedings.
The suspects, based at Iwakuni airbase near Hiroshima, allegedly raped the woman, then 19, in a car in the city last October and stole cash from her purse. Local media reports said the woman had told investigators that she consented to sex with one of the men.
Last week prosecutors in Okinawa dropped a case against a marine accused of raping a 14-year-old girl after the alleged victim withdrew her allegations. He is now being investigated by the US military ahead of possible disciplinary action.
Military authorities placed all US troops on the island, as well as their families and civilian base workers, under a 24-hour curfew for almost two weeks. On Monday the curfew was relaxed during the daytime.
The gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US soldiers in Okinawa in 1995 sparked big protests and prompted Tokyo and Washington to discuss ways to reduce the military presence on the island, home to more than half of the 50,000 US troops stationed in Japan.
美军事法庭将对涉嫌去年轮奸一名日本女性的四名海军陆战队士兵进行审判,此举显然是为了平息美军近来的一系列罪行在日本民众中引发的愤怒。
由于受害人的口供"前后矛盾",当地检查机构原本已经在去年年底撤销了对这四名犯罪嫌疑人的指控。但由于美军士兵近期恶行所引发的抗议,美方非同寻常地主动启动了对此案的司法程序。
涉案的四名海军陆战队士兵驻扎在广岛附近的岩国市空军基地,他们被指于去年10月在该市的一辆汽车里强奸了一名19岁的女性,并偷走了其随身携带的现金。当地媒体称该女性曾对调查人员表示,她只同意和四名犯罪嫌疑人中的一个发生性关系。
在上周发生的另一案件中,由于受害者撤回了诉讼,冲绳当地检察官撤销了对一名美国海军陆战队士兵强奸一名14岁少女的指控。目前美国军方仍然在对该士兵进行调查,暂时未给予其处分。
由于此事件,美国军方对所有军人、军人家属和基地工作人员实行了近两周的24小时宵禁,直到本周一才降级为夜间宵禁。
1995年三名美军士兵曾轮奸一名12岁冲绳少女。次案件引发了强烈抗议,并促使两国政府不得不就减少驻冲绳美军基地驻军问题进行磋商。美国在日本有五万名驻军,其中超过半数驻扎在冲绳基地。
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