19 year old solder, pardoned https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Jennifer_Laude

This part:

I really doubt even lower ranking actual diplomats could reasonably expect to get away with running over an elderly Japanese grandma in Japan.

Nearly all the smaller countries would waive even up to a minister-counsellor’s immunity in that scenario.

Your skepticism is wrong in this case.

https://unseen-japan.com/ridge-alkonis-release-japan-reacts/

Your the third to seemingly not read my comment?

Obviously the USA is not in the category of smaller countries.

And it seems irrelevant anyways, military have different norms from diplomats.

> Nearly all the smaller countries would waive even up to a minister-counsellor’s immunity in that scenario.

Sadly, if the UK's experience is anything to go by, if it is a US government worker / diplomat they would be on the first plane home[1].

I fear it would be no different in Japan. The US would get away with it. Even more so in the Trump era where he would probably make some dumb threats to the country to force their hand.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Harry_Dunn

Well yeah that’s why I said smaller countries… the big countries have minister-counsellors, sometimes even attaches, that are really significant people, and might get away with it.

Especially if it’s a cover for their actual position with a much higher rank.

So laws are for ordinary folk?

Of course? Diplomatic immunity would be meaningless otherwise.

She was clearly an intelligence officer not a low level diplomat or staffer