Japan indicts US Marine on murder charge in Okinawa

Japanese prosecutors have indicted a US Marine on suspicion of murdering a woman in Okinawa, reports said Monday.

The case has prompted public outrage, caused Japan’s premier to slam the “heinous crime” and reignited controversy over the heavy US military presence on the southern island.

According to the indictment document, the 20-year-old suspect allegedly strangled a 39-year-old woman from Naha in a hotel with a telephone cord on Oct 3, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

He is also accused of stealing a backpack containing the woman’s wallet and other belongings, the newspaper said, and has been indicted on robbery charges.

The Marine denied the allegations at the time of his arrest but has now made statements that imply some involvement in the case, the Yomiuri and other media said, citing investigative sources.

Prosecutors were not immediately reachable when contacted by AFP.

Crimes including rapes, assaults, hit-and-runs and drunk driving by US military personnel have long triggered protests on the southern Japanese island, which has for years urged other regions in the country to share the burden of hosting US troops.