US Military Imposes Curfew in Wake of Alleged Rape in Okinawa - East Idaho News
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US Military Imposes Curfew in Wake of Alleged Rape in Okinawa

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GETTY W 101912 JapanFlag?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1350645160532Stockbyte/Thinkstock(TOKYO) — In the wake of an alleged rape case involving two American sailors in Okinawa this week, the U.S. military on Friday imposed an immediate curfew on all personnel, on and off its bases in Japan.

On Tuesday, Seaman Christopher Browning and Petty Officer 3rd Class Skyler Dozierwalker were arrested by Okinawan authorities shortly after a local woman, 27, said she had been sexually assaulted and robbed in front of her apartment building.

The reported victim did not know the men, and initially ignored their advances outside a bar where the sailors had been drinking, Japanese media reports said.  The men followed her into an empty street, where they allegedly attacked her and slashed her neck.

Under the Status of Forces Agreement between the United States and Japan, Japanese authorities are holding the sailors and have primary jurisdiction because it involved a Japanese national.  The Navy’s Criminal Investigative Service is also conducting its own investigation and providing support to Okinawan authorities.

A Navy official said the sailors are based at Fort Worth Naval Air Base in Texas and were temporarily deployed to Japan as part of the crew of a Navy cargo plane.  The plane’s crew had flown a mission from Atsugi in Japan to Okinawa, but was required to stay the night on the island because of crew rest requirements.

The alleged incident is said to have occurred during their stay.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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