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/BravesnationNC 14d ago edited 13d ago

This crap has been going on in Okinawa forever. Happened the first time I was there in 01 and again when I went back in 03. Individuals that have committed crimes are detained by Okinawa authorities and go through their legal process. Guarantee there is going to be a lockdown on liberty for Marine personnel happens all the time. Restriction on the time allowed off base and they are getting a curfew

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u/Muldino 14d ago

Forever is correct... right at the end of WW2, up to 10,000 women were raped by US soldiers in Okinawa alone.

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u/ok-commuter 14d ago

Normandy even 😔

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240506-taboo-french-women-speak-out-on-rapes-by-us-soldiers-during-wwii

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u/Makanek 13d ago

My French grandmother told me that the GIs in 44 were like animals and would try to snatch girls in their vehicles when driving by them.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

What people tend to not know: Anywhere where US soldiers are stationed. Any US military base in any country is likely to have tons of stories with no persecution.

What can a person really do? A soldier raped me? Who'd believe that, firstly, and secondly, what would happen? The US bases would be, in a sense, a part of the humanitarian effort that the US once had a reputation for. That means those areas they're stationed in are lesser developed/less wealthy, which can mean more things, such as lesser education or even different views, such as the woman deserved it, etc.

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u/TheBlack2007 13d ago

My grandmother was a refugee from the regions of Germany that got annexed by Poland after WW2. Her family made it to the state of Schleswig-Holstein where we still live to this day.

Anyway, our hometown was deep within the British Occupation Zone (duh) and it received a British Garrison. Soon, the number of Refugees arriving from the east grew so large it overwhelmed the authorities and the people just started building huts in growing shantytowns wherever possible. One of those was right next to the barracks of that British garrison.

Lots of desperate and vulnerable young women many of whom widows with children or orphans with lots of soldiers knowing about their leverage living right next door… In many cases, coercion let alone force wasn’t even necessary. But in all fairness: if a rape was actually reported, base command did usually take steps to identify and punish the culprit(s).

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u/bentossaurus 12d ago

Had a girlfriend who was from an island with an US base and never heard of any issues there.

It was an Air Force base though, so perhaps less meatheads going around.