Victim of alleged Okinawa rape
asks to be kept out of the spotlight
By Mark Oliva, Okinawa
bureau
NAHA — The Okinawan woman accusing an Air Force staff sergeant
of raping her in a parking lot on June 29 is pleading for the media to leave her alone.
The 24-year-old woman filed a letter of protest with a local rape
crisis center here Tuesday, saying the media attention surrounding the incident is
unbearable.
Officials at the Rape Victim Rescue Center Okinawa, to whom the
alleged victim sent the letter, were unable to comment before deadline.
“Even a little thing reminds me of the incident and makes me
panic,” the alleged victim said in her letter. “As a trial is coming soon, I am
seized with great fear and anxiety, not knowing what to do. Please leave me alone.
“I have been forced to live in terror that I will be exposed to
the public,” she said. “I have also hit my lowest point psychologically.”
The rape accusation against Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy B. Woodland
has sparked international media attention on the U.S. military stationed on Okinawa. Local
politicians have called for changes to the Status of Forces Agreement over the incidents
and have used the incident as a platform to justify further troop reductions.
Police and prosecutors have released little information regarding the
circumstances of the rape.
Initially, there were rumors that Woodland and the alleged victim had
a past dating relationship, which has been denied by prosecutors and Woodland’s
defense attorneys.
“It is bitter for me to recall or talk about the rape,” the
alleged victim stated. “There have been mindless rumors spread about me, and I feel
indignant that some weekly magazines have written false stories that denigrate me.”
The alleged rape, along with separate incidents involving an airman
committing arson and a Marine kicking a moped, spurred local mayors to petition Air Force
Brig. Gen. Gary L. North to impose a midnight curfew on all Air Force members. North
expressed regret for the incidents, but refused to impose the curfew, saying the majority
of servicemembers are law-abiding, contributing members of the community.
“We are dedicated to preserving good relations between the
military and the local communities,” North said in a written statement. “We will
continue to do whatever is possible to ensure our members live up to the high standards we
expect of them. We’ll continue to press local businesses to enforce local laws on the
sale of alcohol as agreed to by the Okinawa Working Team on reducing incidents.”
Kadena Air Base spokesman Masao Doi in a statement said North
considers the incidents serious and pledged his cooperation to ensure strict troop
discipline and cooperation in resolving crimes.
“In light of recent incidents concerning airmen assigned to
Kadena, General North recalled all [6,500] Air Force military members on Kadena to their
duty stations Monday morning at 4:30 a.m. for mandatory command briefings,” Doi said.
“This very proactive measure was taken to focus the attention of Air Force members on
upholding standards of good citizenship by our U.S. community at Kadena (Air Base) and
through the local communities.”
Chiyomi Sumida contributed to this report.
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