March 01, 2008	Saturday	Safar 22, 1429

TOKYO: Japanese authorities on Friday freed a US Marine accused of raping a 14-year-old girl after her family dropped the case that had triggered outrage in the close US ally but he was detained by the military.

The surprise turn of events came just two days after the rape case overshadowed a visit to Japan by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who offered an apology on behalf of Washington.

Staff Sergeant Tyrone Luther Hadnott was released 18 days after he was arrested on the southern island of Okinawa. He was immediately taken into the custody of the US military, which said it would conduct its own probe.

A police spokesman and an official at the prosecutors office in Okinawa both confirmed that Japanese authorities were not pursuing charges against the 38-year-old Marine.

The officials declined to give further details. But media reports said the girl’s family refused to pursue the allegations.

Jiji Press, quoting unnamed officials, said that the girl did not want to be part of the high-profile case but that her family hoped the Marine would leave Okinawa, home to half of the more than 40,000 US troops in Japan.—AFP