JAPANESE

End Sexual Violence by American Soldiers!!

Never Let Anyone Become a Victim Again

■■ Voice from Okinawa■■


“Not Again…” Sexual Assault by American Soldiers
In June 2024, the heartbreaking news broke that a young Okinawan girl had been abducted and forced into a car by a US soldier and sexually assaulted.

In Okinawa, where similar incidents have happened repeatedly, residents could not help but sigh, “not again.”

This is because there have been over 1,000 cases of sexual violence against women by US military personnel and civilian employees in Okinawa that have come to light.*1

Of course, the actual number of victims is thought to be greater as it is difficult to speak up about sexual violence in the first place. (Note: The gender of victims of sexual violence is not limited to female persons. Moreover, the victims' ages vary, with the youngest being an infant.") 

“As if it never happened”: Sexual Violence by American Soldiers That Has Been Ignored

When American soldiers commit crimes, Japanese police investigations and handling are different from those of Japanese perpetrators. American soldiers are protected by the "U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement," which is advantageous for the U.S. military.*2

Although the crimes occurred in Japan, they are often not prosecuted or tried in Japanese courts. There have even been cases where suspects have fled to U.S. military bases and flown back to the U.S. without being prosecuted. In some cases, the crimes themselves are ignored, and victims are not provided with care or compensation.

Okinawa’s prefectural government has appealed countless times to both the Japanese and U.S. governments to change this unequal situation, but Okinawa’s voices have gone unacknowledged while the number of victims continues to increase.

The Concealed Girl’s Case

The sexual assault incident in question occurred in December 2023, yet Okinawan citizens were kept in the dark. The incident was only revealed in June 2024, six months later, and was not even reported to the governor of Okinawa. It was awkwardly handled, as if it had never happened.

Moreover, during those six months, three more cases of sexual violence perpetrated by American soldiers occurred. These cases might have been prevented if the initial incident had been made known.

Don't Treat It as If It Never Happened: A List of Okinawa's Demands

We no longer want to let the sexual violence perpetrated by American soldiers go unnoticed. Immediately after this incident came to light, the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly unanimously submitted a statement and resolution to the Japanese and U.S. governments.

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Okinawa Prefectural Assembly’s

A Statement Over the Spate of Sexual Assault Cases Against Women by Members of the US Armed Forces *3　

1. Offer apologies and provide complete compensation to the victim.
   
   
2. Provide thorough and diligent psychological care to the victim. And strictly prevent secondary victimization.
   
   
3. Regarding crimes committed by members of the US Forces and related persons in the future, coordinate with the Japan-US Joint Committee and other such bodies to ensure certain and reliable measures are taken so that the Okinawa Prefectural Government and relevant municipal governments are promptly notified while prioritizing the privacy of the victim(s).
   
   
4. Fundamentally revise the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement which currently gives special privileges to US Forces personnel, civilian employees, and other related persons. In particular, the provisions regarding extradition should be revised as soon as possible.
   
   

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We demand that this statement be implemented as soon as possible.

Changes cannot be made by the victims alone, by those who live in towns with U.S. military bases, or by the people of Okinawa alone.

Sexual violence will not be tolerated. The victims are not to blame. It is the perpetrators who should be blamed. Finally, sexual violence by American soldiers must never happen again.

We ask for as many people as possible to sign this petition so that this incident is not "disguised as something that never happened" and to prevent further victims.

This petition is addressed to:

The Prime Minister of Japan
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan
The Minister of Defense of Japan
The Minister of State for Policies Related to Children, Measures for Declining Birthrate, and Youth Empowerment of Japan
The President of the United States
The U.S. Ambassador to Japan

Unanimously endorsed by all the members of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly

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Recommendations from the International Community to Japan *4

In October 2024, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women convened. For the first time, concerns were raised to the Japanese government regarding sexual violence by U.S. military personnel stationed in Okinawa, and recommendations were made for adequate compensation to victims and the punishment of perpetrators. The international community views the situation of women in Okinawa with regret and considers it a serious issue.

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Footnotes:

*1:  Revealing the number of sexual violence cases is a very difficult task. According to the 13th edition of 'Postwar U.S. Military Crimes Against Women in Okinawa (April 1945 - December 2021)' compiled by the 'Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence,' there are 948 cases. The Okinawa Civil Police investigated 1,030 cases from 1946 to 1949. Combining these two figures, there are at least about 2,000 cases, but since sexual violence cases are often hidden, the actual number is considered to be much higher.

*2:  The difficulty in prosecuting sexual violence cases involving American soldiers stems from the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). When American soldiers commit incidents or accidents involving civilians in Japanese civilian areas, the jurisdiction depends on whether they were on duty or off duty. If they were on duty, the U.S. holds jurisdiction. Even if they were off duty, the U.S. retains custody of the suspect until the trial. Currently, there is an agreement that in serious cases such as rape or murder, the U.S. will hand over custody to Japan as a 'favorable consideration,' but this is not always effectively implemented. 'Favorable consideration' is ultimately at the discretion of the U.S. There are many restrictions on Japanese police investigations, and there have been instances where the U.S. refused to hand over suspects without providing reasons. Additionally, there have been cases where suspects fled to the U.S. military base and then escaped to the U.S.

*3:  In July 2024, The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly unanimously passed the statement and resolution regardless of conservative or liberal views.
Resolution (English)
Statement (Japanese only)

*4:  Five NGOs from Okinawa raised concerns about the issues and current situations faced by Okinawan women. They reported that women in Okinawa are suffering from violence due to intersectional discrimination based on gender and ethnicity, and that various barriers to legal redress exist under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and that perpetrators of sexual violence by US military personnel in Okinawa go unpunished. As a result of this report, recommendations were made to the Japanese government. For Okinawan women, who have suffered sexual violence by American soldiers since wartime, the international community's attention and stance against violence is a significant source of support. Now is the time to urge both the Japanese and U.S. governments to take measures to eliminate violence against women.

Written by FemiBridge Okinawa