European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday january 20, 1993 world the stars and stripes Page 9 in Gay Seaman s Tokyo apr the . Navy convened a hearing tuesday to determine whether an airman apprentice should face court martial on a murder charge in the october slaying of a homosexual Seaman. The Case has become a rallying Point for Gay rights groups which say the killing of Allen Schindler 22, was a hate crime that illustrates the need for a change in the military s attitude toward homosexuals. 1 tuesday s hearing at the Navy a Yokosuka base out base. Navy spokesman Hie hearing the military equivalent of a grand jury probe was to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant further action against Hervey the spokesman said. Once All the evidence has been presented an Independent investigating officer will recommend whether to proceed with a court martial said Todd. He said the investigation should be completed next week. Navy officials won t discuss details of the Case saying it might hinder the investigation. The military prosecutor and defense counsel have declined comment. Schindler was killed on oct. 27 in a Public restroom near the Home port of his ship the Belleau Wood in Casebo Japan Navy officials said. The autopsy report said his Skull was crushed All but two of his lbs were broken most of his vital organs were damaged and his genitals were lacerated. He had disclosed his homosexuality to his Captain and asked for a discharge in september the Navy said. Supporters iad he wanted out because shipmates had harassed him. Mike Petrelis a National spokesman for the militant group queer nation has accused the Navy of trying to cover up a hate crime. He says he has received reports that five sailors May have been involved in the slaying. Another airman apprentice Charles a it Vins of Sturgis mich., was convicted at a court martial nov. 23 of concealing a crime and resisting arrest. He was sentenced to a year in custody and Given a bad conduct discharge. Vins 20, who has been in the Brig at Yokosuka was to called to testify at tuesday s hearing but he was unable to appear because he had an emergency appendectomy. Doctors expect him to testify next week Todd said Todd said the Navy was doing its Best to find out what happened. Quot since the death of Seaman Schindler the Navy has maintained a delicate balance of keeping the Public informed to the greatest extent possible without jeopardizing the investigative and military Justice process he said in a statement. A the Navy continues to be fully committed to determining the circumstances surrounding the death of Seaman Schindler.1�?T a resident and his dog Are evacuated by boat in a flooded area of Perth Scotland after the River Tay flee London up a hundreds of families in Central Scotland had to be evacuated from their Homes monday after flood Waters swamped Homes and Rivers burst their Banks. A we Are still trying to fill the breaches in the flood Banks a Crawford Langley administration director of the tayside regional Council said by Telephone. He added a we Are trying to plug them As fast As we can. The fire brigade and Royal Navy Are also helping by pumping water out of Homes and commercial . The Cost of the flooding is expected to run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Langley said the government might be called on to help pay for the cleanup. A even for our Council alone you Are talking about 1,500 people working 24 hours a Day for the Best part of a week Quot he said. \ nearly 300 people were unable to return to their Homes late monday As the bad weather continued. A it s a very serious situation Quot Harry Robertson the chief executive of the Perth District Council told Thein British broadcasting corp. A we have never experienced anything like this before. The 1990 floods were really bad but we Are experiencing water Levels some 25 to 30 percent higher than that Quot Robertson said. In Perth the worst affected City 30 Miles North of Edinburgh the River Tay which runs through the town burst its Banks after rising More than 14 feet above Normal. Families were forced to leave their Homes by boats and Royal air. Force helicopters were used to ferry people to drier land. The used inflatable Dinghy to evacuate one housing estate in Perth. The floods in the Perth and tayside areas were caused by a combination of Snow followed by rapid thawing and heavy rain Langley said. A heavy Snow has been falling in some regions today tuesday but we do not anticipate it causing the same problems As we have just been through. A i think we Are through the worst of it but there is still an awful lot of water around Quot he said.30 Are killed 21 injured in Taiwan restaurant fire from wire reports Taipei Taiwan a a predawn fire swept through an unlicensed restaurant filled with diners in downtown Taipei on tuesday killing 30 people and injuring 21 others firemen reported. The death toll was the highest from a firc re Latch disaster in Taiwan since 1979, when 34 people died in a Gas explosion at a Taipei residential Block caused by a fire. The Taipei police chief Chen Hsuch tin said police were investigating whether the fire at the talking about love restaurant was deliberately. Set. A aaa a a the fire began at the restaurant s main Entrance about 2 a.m., trapping about 60 customers and employees police said. A the restaurant s two other exits were locked and blocked by furniture police leading Faeroe Copenhagen Denmark Marita Petersen became the Faeroe islands first woman prime minister monday when Atli dam stepped Down after 17 years As Leader of the Small sem Independent danish territory. The territorial parliament latin get appointed Petersen a member of the social democratic party and the Only candidate for the office the prime ministers office said. Petersen 52, had been minister of Justice education and culture in dam s government since 1991. She was named by her party the largest in the Island s 32-seat Assembly to succeed her fellow social Democrat on sunday.12 die in gang warfare Culiacan Mexico a an apparent gang a in dec War among drug traffickers killed 12 people and left seven wounded monday in a Northwestern City the government no Timex news Agency reported. Deputy state attorney general Jesus Armando Logon Beltran said attackers in three cars opened fire after Midnight at a car that had been stopped by police outside a dance Hall. The attackers later opened fire on a pickup which went out of control and hit a truck trailer killing All four people in the woman slain Belfast Northern Ireland a an outlawed protestant group that backs British Rule in Northern Ireland claimed responsibility monday for the killing of a roman Catholic woman. The Ulster Volunteer Force said it shot 27-year-old Sharon Mckenna on sunday and claimed she was it member of the Irish National liberation front an extremist offshoot of the anti British Irish. Republican . Family and friends insisted she was not connected with any militant organization. A fall 1 can say is they shot her because she was a Catholic Quot her Mother hikes cigarette tax Paris a France increased axes on cigarettes 15 percent monday the first instalment of a 30 percent hike to discourage smoking and pay health care for Molung eclat a illnesses. The tax hike comes 2vi months after the government imposed Tough Laws barring smoking from Public budding Ana the workplace and forcing restaurants and cafes to create no smoking zones. The tax increase will boost the Price of a pack of Gau loises France s famed Black tobacco cigarette from 6.4 francs about st.16, to 7.5 francs about $1,36, according to France s state owned tobacco company teen killed e to Jerusalem a israeli troops shot dead a 13-ear-old palestinian in the occupied Gaza strip on tuesday after be and other youths pelted their patrol with stones and Arab gunmen shot an israeli Security guard in the West Bank. Palestinians identified the dead boy As Lewa Baskrun and said he was shot in the Chest in Palestine Square Gaza City s main downtown intersection. He was pronounced dead on arrival at nearby Ahli Arab Hospital
