"Ambassador Mondale expressed -- on behalf of the U.S. government -- sincere apologies for the suffering this crime has brought to the child, her family, and the people of Okinawa Prefecture," a statement released by the U.S. Embassy said.

The embassy said the apology was made when Okinawa Governor Masahide Ota visited Mondale in Tokyo on Tuesday to express concern over the matter. The three servicemen - two marines and a sailor - are accused of abducting the primary school girl on September 4 while she walked home from buying groceries.

They allegedly dragged her to a beach and bound her with adhesive tape before raping her.

Public anger in Okinawa mounted after U.S. authorities refused to turn over the suspects to Japanese police, citing a clause in the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and other documents which bar such a move until Japanese prosecutors have issued a formal indictment.

About 24,000 of the 44,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan are on Okinawa. The embassy statement said the three suspects have been taken daily to a local police station, and will continue to be available to Japanese authorities. The U.S. will promptly turn over the three after a formal indictment, it said.

The incident has prompted calls, led by Ota, for a revision of the SOFA agreement, which governs legal matters relating to U.S. military personnel in Japan and their dependents.

Anti-military feeling is high on Okinawa, scene of the only land battle on Japanese soil during World War Two which resulted in the death of about one-third of the civilian population at the time.

The island remained under U.S. military occupation until 1972 when it reverted to Japan.

Crimes committed by U.S. soldiers over the years have kept the anger kindled.

Japan's Defence Agency statistics show that in the past two years U.S. servicemen committed a total of 87 crimes including murder, armed robbery and rape,

Foreign Minister Yohei Kono told a news conference on Tuesday that he could understand the feelings of the local citizens but Japan did not intend to review the agreement because proper investigations can still be made under the pact.

"We believe that the incident can be solved (under the agreement)...and we are not thinking of reviewing the agreement," Kono said.

--REUTER

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