Kadena servicemembers Article 32 begins with revelations

[unhappycamper]

Kadena servicemembers Article 32 begins with revelations
By David Allen, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, October 4, 2008

TORII STATION, Okinawa — The close presence of Army Spc. Ronald Hopstock Jr. was almost too much for the young Filipina to bear.

In a trembling voice, the 22-year-old woman looked at Hopstock, seated with his two attorneys about six feet away, and loudly sobbed, "I cannot forget that he hurt me!"

~snip~

The emotional scene took place Thursday at Torii Station, where an Article 32 hearing commenced on charges of rape and disobeying an order involving the Feb. 17 incident and unrelated charges of procuring a prostitute and sodomy. The Article 32, similar to a preliminary hearing in civilian courts, is scheduled to last four days.

~snip~

Hazel claimed in an interview with Stars and Stripes in June that she signed on with an agency to become a dancer on Okinawa only because her sister needed money to pay for surgery. But she revealed under questioning by Army Capt. Ernesto Galpasin, one of Hopstock’s two defense attorneys, that she had previously worked for two months as a hostess in a karaoke bar in Hong Kong.

The second bombshell was testimony from a doctor at the U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa that Hazel is genetically male.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57870