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From Global Voices
The news last week that U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Tyrone Hadnott had allegedly raped a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Okinawa sparked various degrees of condemnation from local citizens, politicians, the government and bloggers [ja], reigniting anger at the continued presence of American military bases in Japan's southernmost prefecture. While different in many ways from the current case, a famous gang rape by U.S. military personnel in 1995 remains fresh in the minds of many Okinawans, adding to feelings of frustration.
In describing cases of rape in Japan such as this one, media tend to avoid the word "rape" in favor of the less direct expression "violence". Freelance journalist and blogger Uesugi Takashi comments on this use of language, and on differences between local and national media in their coverage of the case:
Another sex crime by a US Marine. I sense the difference between the "Okinawa Times", which put out an extra edition, and the relatively quiet mainland reporting on this. [Mainland reporting] refers to it as something like an "violence against a young woman", but speaking frankly, this is "rape of a minor". Is there even any point in softening these words and referring to it as "violence" In using terminology like "compensated dating" and "violence against young women" for sex crimes, Japanese reporting, more than considering the victim, tends to reduce the sense of atonement of the assailant. There should be a change in attitude to one that absolutely does not put up with this kind of sex crime.
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Danny Hiennsley,
Cyrill and Methodius Square 5 Uzhgorod,
Uzhgorod 88005
Ukraine
Last updated: September 26, 2010