A trainee officer at the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is to be court martialed for an alleged rape, which is said to have happened after a drunken night out in London.
The officer cadet, in his early 20s, allegedly raped a colleague inside the academy grounds. The man, who we are not naming, denies any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty.
The alleged rape took place in the summer of last year. The cadet – still based at the academy – was charged earlier this year. Under new rules imposed by defence chiefs, the court martial board of officers, which acts as a jury, will include both male and female personnel.
The Ministry of Defence allows victims of alleged sexual offences to decide whether a case is dealt with by the Defence Serious Crime Unit, created in December, or civilian police. The Army said: “We can confirm a soldier is to face trial charged with a sexual offence.”
The disclosure comes just weeks after it emerged another young Army officer, who passed out of Sandhurst as the top cadet and won the coveted sword of honour, is being court martialed for sexual assault. Lt William Key, 27, of Norfolk, was charged in July, less than two years after graduating. The alleged offence, which he denies, is said to have taken place in Brunei, where the officer was taking part in a military exercise.
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