TOKYO: An American soldier stationed in Okinawa was referred to prosecutors by local police on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman and injuring her in April, an investigative source said on May 23.
The source did not say whether the man in his 20s admitted to the allegations before the referral on May 22. He was arrested after the woman reported the incident to the police through a third party, according to Kyodo News.
The man remains in US custody under the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement, the source said.
Under the agreement, Japan has the primary right to exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed by off-duty US service members, but suspects generally remain in US custody until they are indicted, except in cases such as arrests made at crime scenes.
The allegations against the soldier include sexually assaulting the woman outdoors and later causing injuries, including bruising to her arm.
The man is also suspected of striking a guardrail on a road with a car while fleeing the scene of the assault and failing to report the accident to police.
According to the source, the prefectural police and the US side had been cooperatively investigating the matter, questioning the suspect on a voluntary basis. The police notified the prefectural government on May 22.
Since 2024, a series of sexual crimes involving US service members in the southern prefecture has come to light.
Two cases were kept secret from the local government by the Japanese government and the Okinawa police until they were reported by the media in June that year, prompting a review of the information-sharing framework.
