› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 52 Total Comments Show All

• 

  jambon at 10:29 PM JST - 25th April

  Can we get a photo of this chap? (In Japan photos are required on resumes so it shouldn't be a big deal.) If he escapes custody I'd like to be prepared.

• 

  WhiteHawk at 11:13 PM JST - 25th April

  Tricknsam, are you being serious or sarcastic? You really think Sec. Rice would travel to Japan over one Marine? How many similar cases have there been during this administration? Rice didn't visit Japan each time, did she?

• 

  usaexpat at 11:25 PM JST - 25th April

  The victim withdrew the accusation and pretty much whether the stories about her "working the street" are true or not it doesn't make a difference in the end. She lied initially probably when confronted by her parents. In the end these 2 things are true Hadnott is an idiot for going anywhwere with an underage girl and any girl that gets on the back of a G.I.'s bike at 14 is no innocent. By the way, didn't the original charges include kidnapping? Show me how you kidnap someone on a motorcycle if anyone is that talented.

• 

  usaexpat at 11:28 PM JST - 25th April

  Sorry upon re-reading the article the court-martial charges do include kidnapping. As I said above show me how you kidnap someone on a motorcycle.

• 

  OssanULTRA at 12:10 AM JST - 26th April

  "Today whether the Marine was colored and whether the girl was Japanese or Ryukyuan. Japan Today's commentator answered my question by removing my blog."

  Residents of Okinawa are Japanese. Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. The Ryukuu Kingdom hasn't existed for ages. Any relationship we have with the Okinawa residents are handled by the Okinawa prefectual authorities or the Japanese government. Separating "Japanese or Ryuukyan" today is ridiculous. The residents of Okinawa aren't demonstrating all over the world like the Tibetans for freedom and independence.

• 

  Obakemono at 01:54 AM JST - 26th April

  Prior to 1972 all the people of Okinawa were required to have a passport just to visit the mainland Plus if you were to take a survey you would find that the Japanese really consider the people of Okinawa 2nd class Japanese

  Where would the people of Okinawa go for legal situations prior to reversion because they did not have the Japanese legal system for cases that have to do with US military personnel who get caught be the local police

  Prior to 1972 Okinawa was under the US Civil Administration and the person in charge was a 3 star army general Unger

  I do not know if all military assigned to Okinawa back then were under SOFA I know that people in mainland japan were

  The people of Okinawa were not born Japanese but were given all the rights of a japanese citizen with a stroke of a pen I think that Nixon made a big ERROR because the Japanese were not allowed to say anything about what the US military did and kept on the Island Air craft/Weapons Combat Operations

  Now that all military are under SOFA now face two legal systems which the Japanese media have a big story that stays on the front pages of all japanese newspapers/tv and appear to enjoy dragging our people thru the mud but whan it comes to the Japanese military who mess up gets very little coverage

• 

  Molenir at 02:16 AM JST - 26th April

  Thing I most like about this is, that it shows the difference between Japanese and American justice system. Japan, accuser withdraws the accusation, over and done with. America, if you have committed a crime, even if the witness or victim doesn't wish to prosecute, you can and frequently will be prosecuted and convicted regardless.

  The crime is the thing, not whether or not your victim is willing to give you a pass.

• 

  WhiteHawk at 02:21 AM JST - 26th April

  Molenir,

  Thanks, I wasn't aware of the legal differences.

• 

  Badsey at 07:40 AM JST - 26th April

  since she is underage the courts can charge on her behalf. Personally I don't like to see time wasted on this crap, but since neither seems credible, I guess it's the only way to find out the truth.

  Rule #1: it's much harder to construct a good lie than to tell the truth.

• 

  The_Marion at 06:21 AM JST - 27th April

  obakemono (ghost) If you click on this you will find out just how right you are.

  http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/nn20071008a2.html

• 

  Terinati at 01:48 PM JST - 27th April

  Again, the comments here display a lot of ignorance in regard to law and its administration.

  To Molenir: It depends on the law, the crime, the state (every state's legal system is different), and the circumstances. While in most cases of criminal law a victim's cooperation is not strictly necessary to prosecute (because society as a whole is presumed to be a victim of the crime), in almost every case the prosecution will get nowhere without that cooperation. In a case like this, with a juvenile victim and a potentially felonious crime, prosecution would probably go ahead... but as her statements made prior to withdrawal would be considered hearsay and could not be used as primary evidence, with no physical evidence the prosecution would be unlikely to be successful. However I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that under UCMJ non-sworn statements may in fact be presented as primary evidence... also, the burden of proof is lesser under UCMJ than in civilian criminal court.

  To usaexpat: Kidnapping is dramatized in the movies and TV shows, but it does not always involve blindfolds and ropes and brutality, or any force at all. In some states, if you are not the legal guardian or authorized agent thereof (ie babysitter, nanny, teacher, etc), it is illegal for you to go anywhere with a child under 13. If you find a 12-year-old who is clearly lost and help them get home, technically you are guilty of kidnapping (the appropriate thing would be to notify the police of the lost child). If you give that child a ride to your love-pad on the back of your motorcycle, you are definitely guilty of kidnapping. Doesn't matter if they were willing or not, they are presumed to be unable to give consent. Anyway, in other states the age may very well vary up to 14. I don't know UCMJ very much, but I'm sure that the kidnapping charge is appropriate. Also... where does this idea that she lied come from? For all we know she withdrew the statement because of all the negative attention from all the jerks who insist that she's to blame and is a person of no virtue. Given the importance of saving face in Japan, I find it quite likely that it would be much worse to endure more of the media circus and grueling trial than to simply forget the whole matter despite being truly victimized.

  To rtrhead1: seriously? Firstly he knew she was a schoolgirl. Dead giveaway that she's probably underage no matter what she says. Also, unless you are privy to information that has not reached the general media, I believe the jury is still out, so to speak, on whether she was raped. She withdrew the accusation but that in no way means it's not true. The USMC conducted a thorough investigation and I haven't heard them say yet whether they found if the allegations are true or not.

• 

  rtrhead1 at 07:46 PM JST - 27th April

  Terinati, the JAPANESE PROSECUTOR went public with the fact that she hadn't had sex with him. THERE WAS NO SEXUAL CONTACT BETWEEN THEM (that night)! She withdrew the accusation because she's shady and she and her family knows it. Last I checked, even though it is screwed up, the age of consent in Okinawa is 13. Yeah, I know, I don't agree with it either. So, what's the dead giveaway that she's underage? I spoken with plenty of women here and in mainland that you would swear weren't over the age of about 16 because they were just about brain dead. Yeah, yeah, not my most shining moment...

• 

  Nessie at 03:01 PM JST - 28th April

  Also, unless you are privy to information that has not reached the general media, I believe the jury is still out, so to speak, on whether she was raped. She withdrew the accusation but that in no way means it's not true. The USMC conducted a thorough investigation and I haven't heard them say yet whether they found if the allegations are true or not.

  There is no accusation. A retracted allegation can't be considered an allegation, since the target of the allegation has no chance to disprove it. Any use of the word rape in any of these stories is wrong and inflammatory.

• 

  JeromeInJapan at 01:13 AM JST - 30th April

  Do u think the overlooked her age? I remember hearing its 13 for consent?!

• 

  Blue_Tiger at 11:26 AM JST - 30th April

  I will say, to those who are painting this as an obvious child-rape/molestation case, and that it was obvious that the girl looked 14, that it is quite easy for young, teenage girls (in any country, really, not just Japan) to wear clothing, make-up, and undertake physical action to make themselves look a lot older!!! As a college student more than a decade ago, I worked at 7-Eleven in the States, and there were many, many underaged girls that came in and tried tyo buy alcohol and cigarettes. Had I not carded them, I'd have never known that many of them were under age.

  This young lady who was assaulted by Sergeant Hadnott very easily could have looked much, MUCH older than her 14 years belied. Case in point is one of my Sunday School Students. She's a 3rd Year Junior High School student, but back in March, my wife and I passed her at the train station. Had she not spoken to us, calling our names, we'd have never known it was her. To both my wife and me, she looked like a college student, due to the way she was dressed, carried herself, and her make-up.

  I won't presume to know what this young girl was doing, why she was out late at night, nor why she left her friends and took a ride fro mthe Sergeant. I will say, however, that Sergeant Hadnott could easily have been fooled into believing that she was uch, much older....

Register or Login to leave a comment