Sexual Assault Cases at Okinawa, Japan: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023
Okinawa, Japan had 21 courts-martial charging Article 120 (sexual assault) in 2017–2018 and another 21 in 2019–2023.
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Short answer: Okinawa, Japan had 21 courts-martial charging Article 120 (sexual assault) in 2017–2018 and another 21 in 2019–2023. The median confinement was 3.5 years in the earlier period and 2.3 years in the later one, compared with 1.5 years in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases in 2019–2023. A punitive discharge followed 100% of enlisted convictions in 2017–2018 and 88% in 2019–2023.
What Was Different After 2018?
The confinement, discharge, and court-level figures were all lower in 2019–2023 than in 2017–2018. Median confinement was 3.5 years before and 2.3 years after. The share of convictions that included confinement was 100% before and 88% after.
Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members followed the same pattern: 100% before and 88% after. General courts-martial made up 95% of the earlier cases and 86% of the later ones.
Both groups are small. A few cases either way can move these percentages, so the table shows direction more than exact size.
| 2017–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 21 | 21 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 0 of 2 | 4 of 8 |
| Convictions with confinement | 100% | 88% |
| Median confinement | 3.5 years | 2.3 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 100% | 88% |
| General courts-martial | 95% | 86% |
How Many Cases Were Contested?
A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Few of these records list the plea. In 2017–2018, 0 of the 2 cases with a recorded plea were contested. In 2019–2023, 4 of the 8 cases with a recorded plea were contested.
Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often leave out the plea, so these counts cover only a small part of each period.
Cases by Year, 2019 to 2023
The 2019–2023 cases were tried from January 2019 through May 2023. There were 8 in 2019, 6 in 2020, 3 in 2021, 3 in 2022, and 1 in 2023, a year the records cover only in part.
Article 120 cases were 21% of all 100 courts-martial at Okinawa, Japan in 2019–2023.
Confinement in 2019–2023
Of the 17 convictions in 2019–2023, 15 included confinement. The median confinement was 2.3 years. Across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases in the same years, the median was 1.5 years.
Among the Okinawa sentences that included confinement, a quarter were 7 years or longer. All of these figures are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case, not only Article 120.
Bad-Conduct and Dishonorable Discharges
In 2019–2023, 88% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 3 bad-conduct discharges and 12 dishonorable discharges. Across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases, the share was 83%.
A dishonorable discharge is available only at a general court-martial. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Other Charges in the Same Cases
Only 2 of the 21 cases charged Article 120 by itself. Across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases in 2019–2023, 31 of 262 did.
Article 128 (assault) was the most common other charge, in 13 cases. Article 120b (child sexual abuse) appeared in 8, Article 80 (attempt) in 6, Article 134 (general article) in 4, and Article 81 (conspiracy) in 2.
Rank and Court Level
Among the accused with rank recorded, 13 were junior enlisted members and 5 were NCOs. No officers appear. The group was more junior than all Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases in 2019–2023.
General courts-martial heard 18 of the 21 cases (86%). A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. The other cases went to special courts-martial, where confinement is capped at one year.
The 2019 Amendment
Article 120 was rewritten in 2012 and amended again for offenses on or after January 1, 2019. A case is charged under the version in force on the offense date. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so some trials after 2018 may involve the earlier version.
The records cannot show whether the amendment had any connection to the differences between the 2 periods.
What These Records Leave Out
These records cover courts-martial only. Cases handled by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action do not appear. The records also do not describe the evidence or the terms of any plea agreement.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Courts-martial tried at Okinawa, Japan that charged Article 120 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2017–2018 (21) and 2019–2023 (21). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 120 in 2019–2023.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Okinawa, Japan: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 120 (Rape and Sexual Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Inside 70 Courts-Martial at Okinawa, Japan, 2017–2018 (the whole docket)
- Okinawa, Japan, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 100 Cases (the whole docket)
- Inside 50 Courts-Martial at Okinawa, Japan, 2024–2026 (the whole docket)
- Sexual Assault Cases at Norfolk, Virginia: 2013–2018 vs. 2019–2023 (same offense, another installation)
- Article 120 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Before and After 2019 (same offense, another installation)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2017–2025
- S2 E1: Article 120 Dismissal & the Aftermath (podcast, members)
- Article 120 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 120 Cases at Okinawa, Japan, 2019–2023
Names and links only. Each judge's record of pleas, findings, and sentences is on their Know Your Judge page, part of the Court-Martial Characters membership.
Compare: federal court. Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.