David Lammy, the deputy prime minister and justice secretary, is raising with the US government the case of an American fighter pilot who strangled a woman at his home in Cambridge but avoided trial under English law. Lammy told parliament that he wanted a full account of what happened to Sarah Steele, an academic assaulted by Capt Jacob Wulfson.
Parliamentary Concerns Over Jurisdiction
Lammy described the case as 'extremely concerning' and said officials across the British government were examining the issue due to its cross-agency nature. His comments follow a pledge by Downing Street to look 'really carefully' at the case, with the prime minister's spokesperson calling it 'deeply distressing.'
Jess Brown-Fuller, the Liberal Democrat's justice spokesperson, argued in parliament that 'victims of crimes on English soil should see justice served in our justice system.' Lammy responded: 'Halving violence against women and girls is a decade-long mission for this government. That case is extremely concerning, and our thoughts, of course, are with the victim, Sarah. Given the cross-agency nature of this case, my officials are working across government and we're raising it with the US government to establish the full facts.'
Investigation Reveals Obscure Agreement
An investigation by the Guardian revealed that Wulfson was tried at a court martial on a US airbase despite his crime occurring while he was off duty. Cambridgeshire police handed over responsibility for investigating Wulfson to the US military, which then controlled the prosecution. The case has highlighted an obscure agreement giving UK police primary responsibility for crimes outside US bases when personnel are off duty, but the US often maximises its jurisdiction with British permission.
Court Martial and Sentence
At his court martial in April, Wulfson was convicted of strangling an intimate partner but acquitted of sexual assault. An all-male panel of US air force officers, serving as the jury, sentenced him to six months in a corrections facility at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. He was also dismissed from the air force.
Victim Speaks Out
Steele has spoken about her 'distressing and degrading' experience with the US military justice system. She said one reason for coming forward was that many in the UK were unaware of 'little pockets of American jurisdiction' on British soil, where victims of crimes by US military personnel can find themselves caught in a foreign and outdated justice system. There are more than 12,000 US military personnel stationed at at least 15 bases and facilities in the UK.
Nick Timothy, the Conservative MP for West Suffolk, where RAF Lakenheath is based, wrote to Lammy last week demanding answers, stating: 'This case should have been fully investigated by the English police and prosecuted in our courts.'
