r/okinawa

1995 Sep 4 - The 1995 Okinawa rape incident involved the abduction and gang rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen.
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1995 Sep 4 - The 1995 Okinawa rape incident involved the abduction and gang rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Okinawa_rape_incident
On September 4, 1995, three U.S. servicemen—22-year-old U.S. Navy Seaman Marcus Dion Gill, 21-year-old U.S. Marine Rodrico Harp, and 20-year-old Kendrick Ledet, all serving at Camp Hansen in Okinawa Island—rented a van and kidnapped a 12-year-old Okinawan girl. Gill beat her, after the other two duct-taped her eyes and mouth shut, and bound her hands. Gill and Harp then raped her, while Ledet—who was described in news reports at the time as being small framed in school—claimed he only pretended to do so due to fear of Gill.

Kidnapping and Rape
While the three perpetrators and a fourth unnamed US Marine were driving around, Gill had allegedly asked them if they had ever "thought of doing something crazy" which soon after prompted a conversation between all of them about how they would theoretically commit a rape; Gill eventually suggested doing it for real, prompting them to head to a store at Kadena Airbase where Harp and Ledet would purchase condoms and electrical tape. The three would spend the next four hours searching for a target, with the specific intent to abduct a school-aged victim and at one point attempting to abduct a woman in an alleyway before she ran into a building after being accosted by Harp. At 8 p.m., the three saw the victim enter a general store where she had walked a short distance from her home to buy a notebook. After she exited, Harp approached her and asked for directions, and as this happened, Ledet punched her and grabbed her by the neck to pull her into the car while Harp assisted. While in the car, Harp taped her mouth, hands, and ankles at Gill's direction before Ledet put tape over her eyes. They had driven to Blue Beach Training area, where according to prosecutors Gill punched her in the face and abdomen, and shoved her back into the car where he continued to beat her until she was barely conscious before he raped her. Harp claimed in testimony to the court that he was told by Ledet not to rape her, and to just get in the car after Gill to "Keep Gill from jumping on her." When interviewed by John Junkerman in 2012, he claimed that he walked away to urinate while Gill was in the car.

Afterwards, according to Gill's testimony in court, he and Ledet made jokes about the crime before Ledet went back into the van and stripped down to his underwear, but was unable or unwilling to rape the girl. Harp then entered the van and raped her. After they drove off, the girl walked until she found a house where she called her mother and explained what happened. Her mother filed a complaint to the police, who were able to quickly identify the men based on the victim's description of them, including the exact number on the license plate of the rental van.

The victim told police that she was determined to report the crime as soon as possible, saying she "did not want any other girls to experience the same".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Okinawa_rape_incident

u/nonoumasy — 6 days ago

Protest motivation(s)?

I’m a professor in Tokyo. Awhile back, one of my classes informally discussed the US bases in Japan. One of my students, who I believe is from an Okinawa-American-base-family, dismissively said that almost all protesters are paid, out there as intentional propaganda rather than from sincere disagreement and dismay. I didn’t have enough knowledge to respond then, so I come to you all now.

The student is both intelligent and sincere, and I don’t believe he’d attempt to lead his classmates astray. He may be misinformed—or right on. So, help me: from what you know, are most protesters acting like they care for a propagandists’ paycheck?

Edit: Thanks for the feedback, stories, and complications. I appreciate your candor and thoughtfulness. With the diversity of ideas and experiences expressed, I'll pass this thread along to my student. It'll be useful.

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u/memyselfnirony — 6 days ago

Solo Itinerary for one week

Hey all,

Will be in Okinawa for 1 week, arriving in just under a week. Will be solo and looking for some solo travel must dos. I am open to hiring a car and have an international drivers licence and may want to visit other islands if time permits. Is it worth being in the bigger city for the weekend? Also any hostel recommendations with better vibes for solo travellers would be amazing.

Cheers!

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u/Odd_Competition_9609 — 7 days ago