Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Two UK soldiers arrested in Afghanistan on charges of child molestation

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1/18/12, "Two British soldiers ‘abused kids aged ten’," The Sun (UK), by John Kay and Virginia Wheeler

"TWO British soldiers have been arrested over claims they abused Afghan children aged about ten.

The accused pair — a sergeant and a private in the Mercian Battle Group — allegedly encouraged a boy and a girl to touch them through their clothes.

They are said to have filmed the children doing it before showing the footage to other soldiers on laptops.

David Cameron was said to be "deeply shocked" last night over the claims.

The Prime Minister was informed of the allegations by defence chiefs.

They told him military police had arrested a sergeant and a private.

The fully-uniformed pair, both from the Mercian Battle Group currently deployed in Afghanistan, allegedly filmed the separate incidents before showing them to comrades on laptops.

They were held following complaints from other servicemen.

Several laptops have been seized and their contents scoured by a team of military cops assigned to the inquiry.

It is the first time allegations of abusing children have been levelled against British troops in either Afghanistan or Iraq.

A source close to the probe said last night: "Nothing has been proved. What we have to establish is whether we are looking at sexual predatory behaviour or totally ill-judged larking about."


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