Army faces more torture claims
20 new cases will be brought forward to the British army this month, as claims of torture and abuse to Iraqi civilians by British soldiers have come into light.
Among the fresh allegations, a group of eight Iraqi men have claimed they were “violently beaten” when a home was visited by British soldiers in August 2003.
The latest cases, which suggests ill-treatment of Iraqis after the invasion was more extensive than first thought, could lead to yet more compensation payouts for loss of life, abuse and personal injury.
The Ministry of Defence has already paid out around £2.8 million to the family of Baha Mousa, 26, a hotel worker, who was beaten to death by British soldiers in 2003.
Injury lawyers are helping with the new cases and said: “In May of this year, lawyers [...] travelled to Beirut to take witness statements from a number of other Iraqis who allege to have been ill-treated, arbitrarily detained and in some cases religiously humiliated and sexually abused by the British military.
"The cases documented span from the start of hostilities in March 2003 through to 2007 and it is understood that there are many more cases which are yet to be documented.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence stated: “All allegations of abuse are investigated thoroughly and where proven, those responsible are punished and the complainants compensated. Allegations must not be taken as fact and formal investigations must be allowed to take their course without judgements being made prematurely.”
Updated on 02/07/2009