British soldier arrested on suspicion of raping woman in Kenya
A British soldier based at an army barracks in Kenya has been arrested on suspicion of rape.
The alleged attack happened last month after a group of soldiers visited a bar in the town of Nanyuki, close to the Batuk (British Army Training Unit Kenya) camp.
An investigation is being carried out by the Defence Serious Crime Command, which probes serious crimes alleged to have been carried out by British servicemen and women in the UK and overseas.
Military police have questioned the bar owner along with security guards who were on duty on the night of the incident, according to The Sunday Times, which first reported the allegations.
According to the paper, the owner of the bar said: "They [the soldiers] like this place and when I meet some of them in the supermarkets, they tell me they have been banned from coming here.
"Sometimes they get too drunk and I drop them at the gate for free."
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "We can confirm the arrest of a service person in Kenya.
"As the matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command, we will not comment further."
They added: "All soldiers who visit or train at Batuk have clear direction about how to behave, on and off duty, must complete mandatory training and attend compulsory briefings on conduct. We will have zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviour.
"To ensure the highest possible standards, the Army has launched a comprehensive Service Inquiry into allegations of unacceptable behaviour by UK Service Personnel in Kenya which would violate MoD and Army policy."
The army last year launched an inquiry into the behaviour of British troops posted to the base after allegations against soldiers, including involvement in the murder of a woman in 2012.
The body of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, a mother of one, was found in a septic tank at the Lions Court Hotel in Nanyuki two months after she disappeared in March 2012.
According to an investigation by The Sunday Times, a British soldier accused of the murder has been named by his comrades after he allegedly confessed to the killing.
An inquest found sex worker Ms Wanjiru was unlawfully killed and a post-mortem examination concluded she had died as a result of stab sounds to her chest and abdomen.
Defence Secretary John Healey met with her family in April during a visit to Kenya.
The British Army has an agreement with Kenya to deploy up to six battalions a year for training.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Mystery after two hikers are found dead on remote island in Lake Superior's Isle Royale National Park
Authorities have found two hikers dead on a remote island in Lake Superior and admit a mystery around their deaths. The investigation began on Sunday, when National Park Service rangers received multiple reports of dead bodies at a remote campground within Isle Royale National Park near Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Two rangers hiked 11 miles overnight to reach the area and discovered two people dead. Park authorities are now conducting an investigation. 'The causes of death are unknown at this time,' the National Park Service said in a statement. 'Additional ground and aviation resources responded starting Monday.' The names of the victims have not been released. Isle Royale National Park spans 132,000 acres across the northwestern portion of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. The park consists of one main island that is surrounded by 450 smaller islands. Visitors can only access the isolated park six months a year via a ferry, boat or seaplane. Popular tourist destinations within the park include Rock Harbor to the northeast and Windigo to the southwest, where many hiking trails start. The weather was mostly mild on Sunday and early Monday, with some thunderstorms reported in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Park rangers were also faced with a similar mystery in November after an unidentified body washed up on the lake's shore near Michigan's Miners Beach. Authorities used DNA analysis to identify him as 65-year-old John Kueber. Foul play was not suspected in that case, the National Park Service said in a statement. Four months earlier, a woman died hiking in the isolated national park in August. The 37-year-old had a sudden medical emergency in a remote location while walking with her husband, according to The Detroit News. In July, 70-year-old John Nousaine also died in the park while scuba diving toward the Emperor, a 525-foot steel ship that sank in Lake Superior nearly 80 years ago. His death marked the first diving-related fatality at Lake Superior in at least ten years, The Detroit News reports.
Sky News
4 hours ago
- Sky News
Police treating death of teenager missing for more than a month as unexplained
The death of a teenager who went missing more than a month ago is being treated as unexplained, police have said. Extensive inquiries are being carried out following the discovery of a body in the search for Cole Cooper, 19, Police Scotland said. The teenager was last seen by a school friend on 7 May in the village of Longcroft near Falkirk, in central Scotland, when he asked a school friend for a lift, which he was not given. He was reported missing by his family on 9 May. A body was found around 4.15pm on Friday last week in a wooded area in Banknock, Falkirk, after a major search. Formal identification is yet to take place, but Mr Cooper's family have been informed and police said dedicated officers continue to support them. Mr Cooper was last seen on CCTV on 4 May in Longcroft and officers revisited the scene on 8 June and spoke to more than 150 people. Police said establishing his movements between Sunday 4 May and Wednesday 7 May is a priority for officers. Chief Inspector Alex Hatrick said: "Cole Cooper's disappearance and the circumstances leading up to it remain unexplained. "We remain in regular contact with the family to ensure they are kept up to date with all aspects of the investigation. "We will continue to support them and provide them with updates as our inquiries progress. "Extensive inquiries are ongoing to piece together Cole's last movements and find answers for his loved ones." Officers are examining more than 2,000 hours of CCTV footage and are continuing door-to-door inquiries in Longcroft and Banknock. 'Shattered hearts' In a statement posted on the Missing Person Cole Cooper group on social media, his family said they were "completely broken". "With shattered hearts, we share the devastating news that our beloved Cole, who was missing, has been found - but not in the way we hoped or prayed for," they said. "Our worst fears have become reality, and we are now living a nightmare we can't wake up from." They added: "Cole, you were our world - and now our world will never be the same. "Your life was only just beginning. The world didn't get to know the light you carried, but we did - and we will carry it with us, always."
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Loss of data relating to inquiry at NHS trust most likely deliberate, say police
A missing data file containing the details of hundreds of maternity cases was most likely deleted 'intentionally or maliciously', a police investigation has concluded. Nottinghamshire police began an investigation in February into the temporary loss of the computer file at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS trust. The trust is at the centre of the largest maternity inquiry in the history of the NHS, examining deaths and harm spanning more than a decade at the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham city hospital. The police force's cyber team said the deletion was 'most likely to be the action of an individual' but the loss 'was not caused or contributed to by any systemic corruption within NUH'. A letter to families involved in the inquiry, seen by the BBC, from assistant chief constable Rob Griffin said the deletion was 'most likely to have been done intentionally/maliciously rather than accidentally'. Police said the identity of the culprit could not be determined. The trust previously said the computer file went missing in July 2024 for a few days. It was recovered after its deletion was spotted by the trust and led to about 300 more cases being added to the maternity inquiry. Nearly 2,500 cases are being examined by the senior midwife, Donna Ockenden, and a national team of leading doctors and midwives, whose review is due to conclude in summer 2026. A statement from the Nottingham Affected Families Group said: 'Nottingham families would like to thank the police for their determined investigation. We are distressed that they were unable to find who did this. 'We are appalled to hear this news, though sadly we are not surprised … To know that there is most likely an individual who is capable of such behaviour is devastating for the already harmed and for the future of NUH safety. 'We call for openness at this worrying time and for the individual, their colleagues or anyone who knows anything about this to come forwards as a matter of urgency. This is a patient safety emergency.' Anthony May, chief executive of NUH, said: 'I would like to thank Nottinghamshire police for their support in investigating this matter and we accept their findings. Upon discovering the issue, the trust informed Nottinghamshire police and engaged fully in the investigation. 'We have put appropriate measures in place to secure digital files so that this cannot happen again.' Last week, Nottinghamshire police said they were investigating possible corporate manslaughter at the trust over the deaths and severe harm of more than 2,000 babies and women. Det Supt Matthew Croome said at the time that the alleged offences related to 'circumstances where an organisation has been grossly negligent in the management of its activities, which has then led to a person's death'.
