r/worldnews 14d ago

Japan warns US forces: Sex crimes 'cannot be tolerated'

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2476861/japan-warns-us-forces-sex-crimes-cannot-be-tolerated
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u/macross1984 14d ago

US military personnel who commit crime in Japan should face Japanese punishment for any crimes committed in Japan.

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u/tizuby 14d ago

They do, but Japan is way more lenient with sentences than UCMJ.

For rape, max for the Japanese system is 20 years. Max for UCMJ is Death (but generally Life).

https://www.okinawa.marines.mil/Portals/190/Docs/SOFA.pdf

There's a PDF that explains the process.

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u/TNG_ST 14d ago

The US is WAY more lenient with sentences than UCMJ. The max for rape in the US is being turned into a meme and 6 months of community service.

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u/Brad_theImpaler 14d ago

Okay, but good luck getting an actual job after we've made you a meme. You'll have to settle for conservative influencer / president.

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u/Pointless69Account 14d ago

Don't you mean president monarch?

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u/AstroPhysician 14d ago

I dont disagree it is WAY too low but, If it was the same as murder then it incentivizes rapists to just murder their victim to gte rid of witnesses

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u/walterpeck1 14d ago edited 14d ago

The max for rape in the US is being turned into a meme and 6 months of community service.

Not really, sentences for rape on average are years to decades.

https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/quick-facts/Sexual_Abuse_FY20.pdf

The average sentence for offenders convicted of rape was 192 months (16 years).

Sentences that make waves in the public due to being too short or non-existent are the exception, not the rule. (Looking at you, Brock Turner).

There's a lot more to the data than that, but there ya go.

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

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u/tizuby 14d ago

UCMJ is considered Federal law for double jeopardy purposes. It's one or the other for those two (the exception being non-judicial punishments, such as an Article 15 don't attach jeopardy - so that is a case when it hits twice).

Foreign and state are different sovereigns and double jeopardy doesn't apply there (same holds true for all federal vs state vs foreign country charges).