SFA-AGR-506-08

US ARMY CHARGES SERVICEMAN WITH RAPE OF FILIPINO WOMAN IN OKINAWA

1 August 2008 – Last 28 July, the U.S. Army charged Specialist Ronald Edward Hopstock Jr. with rape of Filipino woman, under section 120 of the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice.

After the Japanese Ministry of Justice released jurisdiction over the case on May 16, 2008 and transferred its evidence to the U.S. Army, the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Naha, with the approval of the woman, retained additional legal counsel in Okinawa to protect her interests.  The legal counsel has assisted her throughout the U.S. Army investigation and has been present at all the hearings.

Also last Monday, the Commander of the 10^th Army Support Group, U.S. Army Japan, appointed an independent officer (IO) to conduct an Article 32 (U.C.M.J.) hearing. The IO will determine whether reasonable grounds exist to believe that Hopstock committed the offenses with which he has been charged.  An Article 32 hearing is a prerequisite to a court-martial.  The procedure shares some similarities with Rule 112 of the Philippine 'Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure'. Rule 112 requires that an investigating officer conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if there are reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has been committed. In the Hopstock matter, if the IO does find reasonable grounds, the case will progress to a general court martial.

As a result of information discovered during the course of the Army criminal investigation, the US Army charged Specialist Hopstock with additional offenses unrelated to the Filipina victim.

The Philippine Government will continue to support the Filipina victim throughout the criminal procedure and has offered other assistance as may be needed. END

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