TOKYO (Sputnik) – Earlier this week, it was reported that Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, a US national and a former marine who works at the US Air Force base in Okinawa, was arrested on suspicion of disposing of Rina Shimabukuro’s body. The local authorities reportedly believe that he has also killed the young woman who has been missing since April.
"We feel deep anger. There are no words when you feel about what [her] family is going through. We demand exhaustive actions and rigorous measures from the United States to prevent this from happening again," the minister told reporters.
On Thursday, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida lodged a protest over the incident with US Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, calling it extremely regrettable.
Later that day, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter pledged his full cooperation to Japan over the incident.
Okinawa is home to a large US military presence and there have been mass protests over the years by the island’s inhabitants over incidents of alleged rape by US armed forces personnel stationed there.
