|
Tokyo: A US 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 Sergeant Tyrone Luther Hadnott was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old girl on the southern island of Okinawa, triggering a nationwide uproar over American troop-related crimes in Japan.
Hadnott was released on Friday night after the girl withdrew her criminal complaint against him, said Ryo Fukahori, a ministry official in charge of Japan-US security.
As a result, the district prosecutor's office decided to drop charges against Hadnott. Rape charges in the Japanese judicial system can only be filed with a victim's complaint.
Reports say US military authorities said they are holding the Marine to conduct their own investigation.
|
