• A US Marine has been sentenced to seven years in prison for sexual assault in Okinawa.
• Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, was convicted of choking and attempting to rape a woman.
• The case adds to local anger toward the heavy US military presence in Okinawa.
• Prosecutors had initially sought a ten-year sentence.
• Concerns about public safety and crime associated with US military personnel are rising.

A Japanese court has sentenced Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, to seven years in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Okinawa. The attack occurred in May 2024, where Clayton was accused of choking and attempting to rape the victim, who is in her 20s. The Naha District Court emphasized the "high credibility" of the victim's testimony, despite Clayton's insistence on his innocence, according to BBC and Channel News Asia.

During the sentencing, Judge Kazuhiko Obata described Clayton's actions as "so dangerous that it could have threatened her life, and highly malicious." Prosecutors had initially pursued a ten-year prison sentence, but the court ultimately awarded seven years, reflecting broader concerns about the conduct of US military personnel in the region. This case forms part of a worrying pattern, as there were 80 individuals connected to the US military charged with crimes last year, the highest figure in three decades, according to South China Morning Post and CBS News.

Local resentment towards US bases has grown, exacerbated by perceived lapses in the accountability of military personnel. The presence of American troops complicates Okinawa's socio-political landscape, where incidents like Clayton's assault fuel ongoing debates about the need for a reevaluation of the Status of Forces Agreement that currently shields US personnel from Japanese law, as noted by Los Angeles Times.

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani has raised concerns regarding the impact of recent sexual assaults and the overall presence of US military forces. Amid calls for stronger preventative measures, the need for a reassessment of the military's role in Okinawa remains critically discussed among Japanese policymakers, highlighting a tense relationship between local communities and the American military, according to BBC and CBS News.