British soldier charged with rape of servicewoman at Cyprus military base
Lance Corporal Nicholas Horne of the Royal Regiment of Scotland has been charged with one count of rape. The alleged offence occurred at a British Forces Cyprus base.
British soldier remanded in custody over rape charge at Cyprus base
A British soldier has been charged with the rape of a fellow servicewoman stationed in Cyprus, bbc.com reports.
Lance Corporal Nicholas Horne, of the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland — also known as The Highlanders — was charged with one count of rape on 23 October, according to the Defence Serious Crime Command (DSCC).
Horne was arrested on 19 October, two days after the DSCC was informed of the alleged rape of a woman serving with British Forces Cyprus. He has been remanded in custody pending a court-martial hearing.
The charge follows an investigation by the DSCC's major crime team, which independently investigates serious offences committed by personnel subject to service law, both in the UK and overseas.
An Army spokesperson confirmed the charge, citing section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2006, and acknowledged the gravity of the case. "There is no place for criminal behaviour in the Army, and we recognise the great courage it takes to come forward and report an offence," the spokesperson said. "Anyone convicted of a sexual offence will be discharged from the service."
British Forces Cyprus operates across two sovereign base areas — Akrotiri and Dhekelia — located on the island's south and south-east coasts. The bases were retained by the UK under a 1960 treaty that established Cyprus's independence and ended its status as a British colony.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)