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

Experts say lower-severity charges for American service personnel are deepening traumatic impact on survivors

American service personnel accused of rape on British soil are being charged with lesser offences by their military courts, a discrepancy that experts say is deepening the traumatic impact on survivors long after verdicts are passed.

There are more than 12,000 personnel stationed in US military bases across the UK, most of them in England. Although UK law enforcement has primary jurisdiction over crimes that occur when personnel are off duty, local police often choose to cede authority to the American military.