Why US military prosecutes alleged rapes of women in UK as ‘sexual assaults’

American service personnel accused of rape on British soil are being charged by US military courts with lesser offences, such as sexual assault, according to the Guardian. More than twelve thousand US personnel are stationed at bases across the UK, mostly in England, and while British police hold primary jurisdiction over off-duty crimes, they often cede that authority to the American military. Experts say the reduced charges are deepening the trauma for survivors long after a verdict is reached.

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