Two US sailors have been sentenced to prison for the rape of a Japanese woman in Okinawa, in a case that has generated strong anti-American feeling.
The Naha district court handed Christopher Browning 10 years in jail and Skyler Dozierwalker nine years. In his verdict, the judge said the men were "contemptible and violent".The incident in October 2012 exacerbated resentment of the US military presence on the island and resulted in a curfew for US troops.
Browning, 24, and Dozierwalker, 23, had pleaded guilty on Tuesday. Prosecutors had initially asked for a 12-year sentence for Browning, who also stole money from the victim.
"The ruling may seem severe, but the damage to the feelings of the victim and residents is more severe," Judge Hideyuki Suzuki was quoted by Kyodo news agency as saying.
In the wake of the attack, Okinawa's legislature passed a protest resolution calling on the US to prevent crimes against local residents.
Under pressure to fight sexual assault, the U.S. armed forces in recent years rolled out education...
