A United States serviceman has been detained after being accused of the alleged rape of a woman from the Philippines that took place at a hotel. It is said that the alleged act of rape took place before the 24-hour curfew on United States troops was set in place. It mainly affected military personnel more than civilians because another US serviceman was accused of raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
The rape of the Filipino woman is the second rape accusation against US servicemen to take place within ten days. There are over ten thousand troops from the United States that are stationed in Okinawa.
So far, the relations between Japan and the United States have been affected as a result of the two allegations of rape.
However, it was not just the allegations of rape. Recently, a soldier broke into a house while drunk and fell asleep on the sofa. Another soldier was arrested for drinking while he was driving.
The locals of Okinawa were always angered and furious at such crimes carried out by United States servicemen. Normally, they were reported in local papers. However, this is not the case as it these crimes have been reported through media across the world.
This could possibly affect United States relations with the rest of the world. If the Japanese national media does not lose interest in the story, the happenings in Okinawa could possibly be a topic in the future US presidential debates.