In a court martial being held at Linton Military Camp a New Zealand soldier, whose name remains suppressed, admitted guilt to four out of the eight charges he faces.
The charges stem from an incident on August 1, 2022, at the camp’s onsite bar, where the soldier, in an intoxicated state, allegedly assaulted three civilian female staff members.
Crown Prosecutor Lieutenant Letitia Smith detailed the events, explaining that the soldier was cut off from being served more alcohol, which led to a series of indecent assaults.
The soldier pleaded guilty to touching the bottoms of two staff members twice, while the remaining charges, including intimidation and insubordinate behaviour, are still contested.
During the proceedings, the soldier denied the remaining four charges, which include allegations of attempting to touch a woman’s groin and yelling insults at a superior officer.
Defense lawyer Matthew Hague urged the need for the court to consider witness testimonies before making any conclusions about the night’s events, reminding the court that the soldier should be presumed innocent of the charges he denied.
The trial is ongoing, with sentencing expected on Wednesday.
Image credit: Wesley Tingey
Military Justice is to Justice what Military Music is to Music…hideous!!!
& yet, the NZ System of ‘Military Justice’ is more lenient than the U.S. System.
In fact the Masonic Supervisors in the U.S. Military routinely use the UCMJ to go after those they don’t like, irrespective of how well the prosecuted victimised victim of the weaponised UCMJ may have served his or her country!