An American Marine deployed in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture has been sentenced to seven years in prison for raping a Japanese woman, reigniting concerns over the presence of US troops in the area.
Lance Corporal Jamel Clayton, 22, was convicted of assaulting a woman in her 20s while serving overseas in May 2023. The Naha District Court on Tuesday convicted Clayton of assaulting the victim from behind, choking her for one to two minutes, and trying to rape her. The woman reported the crime at once to the police and told a friend in an email with a vivid description that matched her testimony in court.
Presiding Judge Kazuhiko Obata described Clayton’s actions as “highly malicious” and noted the attack had posed a serious threat to the victim’s life. Medical evidence presented during the trial showed blood spots in the victim’s eyes, consistent with prolonged neck compression. Her injuries required two weeks to heal.
Clayton pleaded not guilty to the charges, his defense arguing inconsistencies in the woman’s story and her supposed state of intoxication. The court, nonetheless, found the testimony of the victim credible and made much of the psychological trauma she had suffered.
Prosecutors had asked for a 10-year sentence. In handing down the verdict, Judge Obata encouraged Clayton to be truly remorseful and maintain a peaceful existence following his release.
The verdict has revitalized Okinawan indignation over US personnel crimes in the island state, where approximately 30,000 American forces are deployed. Although Okinawa occupies only 0.6% of Japan’s territory, it is home to roughly 70% of the nation’s US military facilities.
This is one of a series of cases attracting national attention. Last year, formal complaints were made by Japan to the US embassy regarding numerous sexual assault allegations. Past grievances, such as the rape in 1995 of a 12-year-old girl by American servicemen, still contribute to resentment of the foreign military presence on the island.
