US soldier jailed for 110 years over Iraqi teen rape
Sunday, 05 Aug 2007 08:35
Alleged ringleader Steven Green is awaiting trial in a civilian court
A US soldier has been sentenced to 110 years in prison for his role in the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the killing of her family.
Private Jesse Spielman, 22, was handed the jail term by a military court at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, after being convicted of four counts of murder, rape and conspiracy to commit rape and housebreaking with intent to commit rape.
The charges relate to the rape and murder of Abeer Qassim al-Janabiat and the killing of her family in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, in March 2006.
Three other United States soldiers have already pleaded guilty to related offences and have received jail sentences ranging from five to 100 years.
A fourth man, former soldier Steven Green – discharged from the army owing to a "personality disorder" before charges were brought – is due to face trial in a civilian court and could face the death penalty.
Although prosecutors did not directly pin the murder and rape of Ms al-Janabiat or the killing of her parents and younger sister on Spielman, he was accused of planning the attack while drinking whiskey and playing cards, and is also said to have acted as a lookout while former Pvt Green carried out the offences.
Sergeant Paul Cortez and Specialist James Barker, who have already been sentenced to 90 and 100 years in prison after admitting to raping the 14-year-old, gave testimony in Spielman's trial claiming Green was the ringleader who shot Ms al-Janabiat's three family members before raping and killing her.
He is then said to have set her body alight while a fifth soldier, Private Bryan Howard, monitored radio traffic.
Yesterday in a separate case a military court sentenced a marine squadron leader to 15 years in prison after convicting him of the murder of an Iraqi civilian in 2006.