European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday january 20,1993 world the and stripes b Page 9 in Gay Seaman s death 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. R 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 a attitude toward homosexuals. Tuesdays hearing at the Navy a Yokosuka base outside Tokyo was closed at the request of the suspect airman apprentice Terry m Helvey 21, of Westland mich., said Navy spokesman cmdr. Mike Todd at the base a. A \ the hearing the military equivalent of a grand jury probe was to determine whether there was surf client evidence to warrant further action against Helvey 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 wont discuss details of the Case saying it might hinder the investigation. The military pros Ccu. Tor and defense counsel have declined comment. Schindler was killed on oct 27 in a Public restroom near the Home port of his ship the Bellcar Wood in Casebo Japan Navy officials said. The autopsy report said his Skull was crushed All but two of his ribs were broken most of his vital organs were damaged and his genitals were lacerated. A he had disclosed his homosexuality to his Captain and asked for a discharge in september the Navy said. Supporters said 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. 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 have been called to testify at tuesdays 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. ?. A 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  a resident and his dog Are evacuated by boat in a flooded area of Perth Scotland alter the River Tay overflowed. Families 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 Quot 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  athe 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 a he said. Nearly 300 people were unable to return to their Homes late monday As the bad weather continued. A a it a a very serious situation a Harry Robertson the chief executive of the Perth District Council told the in British broadcasting corp. A we have never experienced anything like this before. The 1990 floods were really bad but we arc experiencing water Levels some 25 to 30 percent higher than that a 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 a 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 related disaster in Taiwan since 1979, when 34 people died in a Gas explosion at a Taipei residential Block caused by a  Taipei police chief Chen ,.said police were investigating whether the fire at the talking about  restaurant was deliberately  fire began at the restaurants main Entrance about 2 a.m., trapping about 60 customers and employees police said. The restaurants two other exits were locked and blocked by furniture police said., woman leading Faeroe Copenhagen Denmark a a 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. It. The territorial parliament last ingot appointed Petersen a member of the social democratic party and the Only candidate for the office the prime ministers office said. A Petersen 52, had been minister of Justice education and culture in dams government since 1991. She was named by her party the largest in the islands 32-seat Assembly to succeed her fellow social Democrat on sunday. 12 die in Gong warfare. A.  Mexico a an apparent gang 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 pickup. Catholic woman slain Belfast Northern Ireland a an outlawed protestant group that backs British Rule in Northern Ireland claimed responsibility monday for the killing of roman Catholic woman. The Ulster Volunteer Force said it shot 27-year old Sharon Mckenna on sunday and claimed she was a 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. Quot All i can say is they shot her because she was a Catholic a her Mother said. Span Dahlem sergeant s death believed suicide Span Dahlem a Germany a amps suicide is suspected in the death of a 24-Yearold Span Dahlem a Security policeman who was found hanged in his Home this month a base spokeswoman said tuesday. Officials said they think staff sgt. Robert f. Gonzales died from a asphyxiation by hanging Quot said tech. Sgt. Sandra Whipps. Authorities with the air Force office of special investigation Are waiting for the results of a toxicology exam before making a final determination she added. Gonzales body was found at his Home of the night of Jan. 3 by his wife. The couple lived in Miu tary family housing quarters in Binsfeld. Whipps would not say whether the couple had children. Officials ruled out foul play Early in the investigation. Gonzales was a Security supervisor with Spang Dahlem a 52nd up so. He died a year to the Day after his arrival at Span Dahlem. Gonzales whose Home of record is Brooklyn n.y., spent six years in the military