Accused Marine may be held another 20 days

[unhappycamper]

Accused Marine may be held another 20 days
By Chisaki Watanabe - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Feb 13, 2008 12:14:18 EST

NAHA, Japan — As protests continued to spread Wednesday, The U.S. ambassador to Japan told Okinawans that he took “seriously” the arrest of an American Marine on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old girl.

Accompanied by Air Force Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright, commander of U.S. Forces in Japan, Ambassador Thomas Schieffer told Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima that they had come to let the people of Okinawa know “how seriously we take this situation,” according to a U.S. Embassy statement.

“We want to assure you that we will do all we can to cooperate with you and the authorities here to ensure that justice is done in this matter,” the statement quoted him as saying.

Staff Sgt. Tyrone Luther Hadnott, a 38-year-old Marine from Camp Courtney in Okinawa, was arrested Monday over the alleged attack on the schoolgirl the night before.

Japanese police said the girl met Hadnott on Sunday and accepted a ride on his motorbike after he offered to take her home. The Marine allegedly took her to his house instead. When the teenager started crying he said he would drive her home, and the girl claimed he then raped her in a car, police said.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_japanrape_080212/