Former US soldier charged with rape and murder of '15-year-old' Iraqi girl

by UK Independent (reposted)

Tue, Jul 4, 2006 10:01AM

A former American soldier recently returned from fighting in Iraq has been charged in a court in North Carolina in connection with the alleged rape of an Iraqi woman in March, as well as the murder of her and three members of her family.

The charge against 21-year-old Steven Green, a former first class private who was recently discharged from the army, at a court in Charlotte yesterday, marks the latest development in the fourth recent case of American soldiers accused of committing atrocities against Iraqi civilians.

American officials acknowledged last week that a formal investigation had been opened into the affair, which centres on allegations that up to five US soldiers entered a home in the city of Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad, on 12 March and left after the woman had been raped and she and her mother, father and younger sister had all been killed.

The Washington Post identified the rape victim yesterday as Abeer Qasim Hamza, and said she was 15 years old at the time.

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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article1159303.ece

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