(Adnkronos) – Japanese prosecutors have indicted a US Marine on charges of killing a woman in Okinawa, according to reports Monday.
AFP reports that the case has sparked public outrage, prompted the Japanese prime minister to condemn the “heinous crime,” and reignited controversy over the strong US military presence on the southern island.
According to the indictment, the 20-year-old suspect allegedly strangled a 39-year-old woman from Naha in a hotel with a telephone cable on October 3, as reported by the Yomiuri Shimbun.
He is also accused of stealing a backpack containing the woman’s wallet and other personal belongings, and was therefore indicted for robbery.
The Marine denied the charges at the time of his arrest, but has now made statements implying his involvement in the case, according to reports from Yomiuri and other media, citing investigative sources.
Prosecutors were not immediately reachable when contacted by AFP.
Crimes such as rape, assault, hit-and-run incidents, and drunk driving committed by US military personnel have long been a source of protests on the southern Japanese island, which for years has urged other regions of the country to share the burden of hosting US troops.
