US armyman charged with rape in Japan

TOKYO: The US military and Japanese police on Thursday said that they were investigating new allegations of rape by a US serviceman in Okinawa amid uproar after a string of criminal cases. The case was revealed one day after the US military imposed a sweeping curfew on troops and their families in a bid to stem public anger in Japan, a close US ally. A Filipina reported to police that she was raped by a member of the US army in Okinawa, the southern island which is home to half of the more than 40,000 US troops in Japan, officials said. The incident allegedly occurred at a hotel in the city of Okinawa on February 18, a local police officer said. The Filipina was injured and is receiving medical treatment at a hospital, the officer said. "We are investigating the case carefully," the police officer said, adding that the soldier was in US military custody. The officer declined to specify the extent of the woman’s injuries.