Marine arrested in alleged rape released; girl, 14, drops claim

[unhappycamper]

Marine arrested in alleged rape released; girl, 14, drops claim
By Mari Yamaguchi - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Feb 29, 2008 20:52:25 EST

TOKYO — A Marine who was arrested in the alleged rape of a teenage girl in southern Japan has been released after Japanese prosecutors dropped charges against him at the request of the alleged victim, the Foreign Ministry said.

Staff Sgt. Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old girl on the southern island of Okinawa, triggering a nationwide furor over American troop-related crimes in Japan.

Hadnott was released Friday night after the girl withdrew her criminal complaint against him, according to Ryo Fukahori, a ministry official in charge of Japan-U.S. security. As a result, the district prosecutor’s office in the prefectural capital of Naha decided to drop charges against Hadnott. Rape charges in the Japanese judicial system can only be filed with a victim’s complaint.

U.S. military authorities said they are holding the Marine to conduct their own investigation, Kyodo News agency reported.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters Friday the U.S. remains “very concerned about this incident” and has “great sympathies” for the girl and her family. He had no details about the legal process.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_marineraperelease_022908/

[ArizonaJosie]

1. In the old days they use to truck in prostitutes for the boys

Maybe that would help relieve some of the pressure.