Society

US Marine Gets 7 Years for Sexual Assault in Japan

NAHA, Jun 25 (News On Japan) - A court in Japan has sentenced a US marine to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Okinawa last year.

Lance Corporal Jamel Clayton, 22, attacked a woman in her 20s by choking her from behind and attempting to sexually assault her, the court ruled.

The case adds to a series of incidents involving US military personnel stationed in Okinawa, where more than half of the 54,000 US troops in Japan are based.

Crimes committed by American servicemen have long fueled resentment among Okinawa residents. The largest protest occurred 30 years ago, when tens of thousands rallied after the rape of a 12-year-old girl by US servicemen.

Clayton denied the charges. His defense argued that the woman had been intoxicated and that her statements during the trial earlier in June were inconsistent.

However, judges at the Naha District Court sentenced Clayton, who is from Ohio, to seven years in prison, citing the victim’s testimony as consistently credible, according to Kyodo News.

Source: BBC

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