Japan issues warrant in Okinawan rape case
Associated Press
OKINAWA CITY, Japan — A court issued an arrest warrant yesterday against a U.S. Air Force sergeant suspected of raping an Okinawan woman in a trendy tourist area.
Associated Press
Japanese authorities moved with unusual swiftness for an arrest warrant against the suspect, identified by police as Timothy B. Woodland. Police said he denied involvement during questioning.
A car said to be carrying a U.S. airman charged in the rape of a Japanese woman leaves an Okinawa City police station. The airman, identified by police as Timothy B. Woodland, denied raping the woman.
Woodland allegedly raped the woman while she was pinned against a car.
Only once before has a suspected American serviceman been turned over to Japanese custody before indictment. This would be the first time on Okinawa, home to the largest U.S. military base in Asia.
The island's governor, Keiichi Inamine, said authorities had sought a warrant "to get the process moving as soon as possible."
"This is a vicious crime that violates human rights, and is absolutely unforgivable," Inamine said.
Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Yutaka Kawashima late yesterday summoned U.S. interim Ambassador Richard Christianson and demanded that the United States hand over the suspect, according to media reports.
Christianson promised to convey Kawashima's wishes to his superiors and expressed his deep regret over the alleged incident, national broadcaster NHK television reported.
