Japan Releases U.S. Marine Accused in Rape of Teen
Japan has released a U.S. Marine accused in the rape of a 14-year-old Japanese girl to the custody of the U.S. military.
Lt. Col. Douglas Powell confirmed the release of Staff Sgt. Tyrone Hadnot and told Reuters the U.S. Marines is still investigating the case.
Kyodo News agency reported that the girl’s family has dropped its criminal complaint, the Associated Press reports.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said during a visit to Tokyo on Wednesday that Americans “regret deeply” the alleged rape, the Washington Post reported. “Our concern right now is to see that justice is done, to get to the bottom of it, and our concern is for the girl and her family,” she said.
The U.S. and Japanese governments have scrambled to prevent further incidents. The military imposed a curfew on servicemen on the island of Okinawa, where the alleged rape took place, and set up task forces on rape prevention. Surveillance cameras have been installed in cities outside the military base and joint Japanese-U.S. security forces patrol the streets.
Hadnott has denied the rape but admitted he forced the girl to kiss him.
