Japan protests fresh case of alleged rape by US sailor

Japan says it has registered a protest with the United States against the alleged rape of a woman by an American sailor on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.

According to the reports, on Monday, Japan’s top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Tokyo had expressed “a strong protest” to Washington over the allegation involving 24-year-old US Navy Seaman Justin Castellanos.

“The US side said it would be a very disappointing incident if the allegation was true and that they’re taking this matter seriously,” Suga added.

The Japanese official also said the government had demanded Washington to tighten discipline among its personnel and to take measures to prevent more of such incidents from taking place.

Castellanos was detained by police in Okinawa’s Camp Schwab on Sunday after being suspected of sexually assaulting a female Japanese tourist. He has denied the allegations.

The American sailor has not been formally charged yet.

According to the Kyodo News Agency, the woman was assaulted during her stay at a hotel in the area.

Okinawa governor Takeshi Onaga also described the case as being a “serious crime and blatant violation of women’s rights,” and warned that the incident also posed a threat to the country’s tourism industry.

SS