Rape victim demands U.S. apology for serviceman's crime

Friday 23rd May, 06:03 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

Latest 15 of 38 Total Comments Show All

Nessie at 03:48 PM JST - 23rd May

The police even went so far as taking her back to the scene to re-enact the rape before attempting to collect any other evidence. Don't know what else she could have done to document her case.

Going to the hospital first, Thunder, for documentation. Then bringing in the police. If I remember, she said the police kept her from going to the hospital, but they didn't realy. They were just unsupportive of her going there. She didn't insist, which she can hardly be blamed for under the circumstances, but the out come might have been different if she had insisted.
Nessie at 03:49 PM JST - 23rd May

This is one of those cases where you have to balance the rights of the accussed and the rights of the accusser.

Um...in EVERY case you have to balance those rights, VOR. Accused = assumed to be innocent.
thundercat at 04:45 PM JST - 23rd May

Nessie, Maybe you are right... I'm unsure of any random hospitals ability to preform a rape kit without the presence of police. I'm pretty sure the standard is going to the police and then having evidence collected... not the other way around.
Nessie at 05:22 PM JST - 23rd May

Thunder, the point is that if you go to the police and they ineptly piss away the precious early hours of the investigation, you should insist on going to the hospital to have evidence documented. She didn't do this. I fully understand why a rape victim would be reluctant to insist on this becuase of the recent trauma. But it would have made her case stronger in light of the police incompetence.
thundercat at 05:49 PM JST - 23rd May

Maybe so... I just don't see why a victim of a crime, in a state of shock should have to insist on the police doing their job. Maybe she should have done the rape kit on herself and saved everyone the trouble...
USNinJapan2 at 06:31 PM JST - 23rd May

‘‘I deserve an apology from the U.S. government,’’ the woman who called herself ‘‘Jane’’ told the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan. ‘‘I want justice and the legal system the U.S. government has failed to give me.’’

No Jane, you deserve an apology from the Japanese government who failed to prosecute your assailant, not the US Government. If you feel that justice is yet to be served, then focus your efforts on getting the Japanese authorities to work with US law enforcement to locate your assailant and extradite him to Japan. Because the individual was never criminally prosecuted, the only justice you can possibly attain are in the forms of 1) the original damages the Tokyo District Court awarded you, and 2) an apology from your assailant. At no time did the US Navy or the US Government break any laws or regulations (US or Japanese) in permitting your assailant (who once again was never criminally charged or prosecuted) to transfer back to the US and to subsequently leave military service. Keeping the individual in country and in the service with no pending criminal charges against him would have violated existing laws and regulations so you cannot fault them for not going above and beyond their jurisdiction. Bottomline, you are not owed an apology from the US Government and demanding one by holding a press conference of this sort is misguided, unrealistic, and simply counterproductive to your cause.
Youdontknow at 07:05 PM JST - 23rd May

Dated an Australian woman once, NEVER again!! She accused me of raping her, had the whole police thing, then she admitted she fabricated the whole thing because I WOULDN'T go home with her no our first date!! She lost her job and left Japan, thank goodness. I on the other hand, lost my job, my friends and dignity. Thankfully, I have the balls to climb back on top and get on with my life.

This woman is owed absolutely jack schmitt from the US government!
VOR at 07:19 PM JST - 23rd May

Nessie: Good catch, I stand corrected.
presto345 at 07:49 PM JST - 23rd May

IIRC the accused was quietly transported out of the country by the U.S. military before the latter thought the sh*t would hit the fan. Surely neither the U.S. Navy, nor the government were legally wrong, but like hell, morally they were.
Nessie at 09:30 PM JST - 23rd May

I just don't see why a victim of a crime, in a state of shock should have to insist on the police doing their job.

She shouldn't have to, Thunder. We certainly agree on that.
sailwind at 10:41 PM JST - 23rd May

‘‘I deserve an apology from the U.S. government,’’ the woman who called herself ‘‘Jane’’ told the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan. ‘‘I want justice and the legal system the U.S. government has failed to give me.’’

I think 'Jane' owes an apology to every single NCIS investigator and Navy legal personnel who did all they could to make her accusation stick and couldn't do it. If they could take this to court they would have in a heartbeat, 'Jane' didn't have a CRIMINAL case. Civil case she won, good on her, apology no way the Navy did all it could based on the evidence to even file a CRIMINAL complaint.
Dakkonguard at 05:24 AM JST - 24th May

If it were the same situation here in the United States we wouldn't nor COULD we demand an "apology" from the Japanese Government. A single individual does not represent the government or nation as a whole.

I understand what she must be going through but this is just ridiculous.
jazzzfan at 07:07 PM JST - 24th May

Sorry Jane, U want sympathy, U want $$$? Ho Ho Ho and I am not talking about the Santa Claus's phrase. Going to that area, getting into that car you had your own agenda--searching for a pipe. Now you want compensation? What the police did/did not do comes from experience of the type of women they deal with in that area. Next time make better choices vice putting yourself in harms way. At the least thank you for raising the issue, hopefully other women will not make the same mistakes you did.
netrek at 07:48 AM JST - 26th May

If no DNA was ever taken how do we know for sure a rape even took place?! Rape is a horrible crime but there are some crazy women who will lie to get fame/money/revenge. I've read of false claims of rape happening because a girl's advances were rebuffed, wanted to get cash, craved attention, etc. It has happened before. If she was raped I sincerely hope she gets justice. But if it all boils down to "her word against his" then you can't really prove rape definitely took place. And as far as I know here in the US most victims don't get any money let alone 3 million Yen.
Blue_Tiger at 10:26 AM JST - 26th May

I read her story before, and from what I read, her accounts of the rape were sketchy at best. She was waiting by her car, an the enxt thing she remembers is coming out of a daze, with some guy on top of her. Yes, its a bad situation, but was it really a US Serviceman who did it? What time was it when she reported it? Why didn7t she go to the hospital rfirst, as some police and legal experts say the woman should do when raped, that way, there is evidence on hand by the doctors and nurses at the hospital? Why not go to the hospital first and foremost, that way the doctors and medical professionals there could call the police and confirm the story? Police are not medical experts, and in such a case, should usually not be called first. The first thing the woman should do is go to the hospital, and Jane didn't. I agree that rape is a horrible, terribly crime, but this woman and her story are a bit difficult to believe, having read the facts.