英国政府和警察部门已启动审查，调查美国驻英军人如何在严重犯罪中逃避英国司法系统[1]。此举源于美国空军飞行员雅各布·武尔夫松强奸并勒死英国女性莎拉·斯蒂尔一案的处理过程[1]。武尔夫松在英国警方将案件转交给美军后，在美军军事法庭而非英国法院受审，最终仅因勒死罪被判6个月监禁，强奸罪被宣判无罪[1]。
根据审查发现，英国警方在多起案件中将本应属于英国司法管辖权的调查权交给了美军[1]。自2018年以来，萨福克郡和剑桥郡警察部队已对相关案件进行审查[1]。根据1950年代的法律，美军人员在值勤期间或对军事人员及其眷属犯罪时，美军可自行起诉；但在其他情况下，英国警方享有首选调查权[1]。英国境内驻扎超过12,000名美军人员，分布在至少15个基地[1]。美军根据《统一军事司法法典》对强奸罪的定义比英国更为狭隘，这可能影响案件的处理结果[1]。
英国司法部长莎拉·萨克曼表示："我们为受害者以及后来浮出水面的其他受害者感到悲伤"[1]。英国全国警察首长委员会主席加文·斯蒂芬斯已致函英格兰和威尔士所有警察局长，以确保警察部队了解其在涉及美军人员案件中的法律义务[1]。
The UK government and police forces have launched an inquiry into how American military personnel stationed in Britain have evaded the English justice system for serious crimes.[1] The case of US Air Force Captain Jacob Wulfson exemplifies the problem: he faced accusations of rape and manslaughter in the death of British woman Sarah Steele, yet British police transferred the investigation to US military authorities.[1] Wulfson was subsequently tried in a US military court rather than a British court, where he was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six months imprisonment, while the rape charge resulted in acquittal.[1]
The inquiry, led by Suffolk and Cambridgeshire police forces since 2018, has revealed that British officers have ceded investigative authority to the US military in multiple cases that should have fallen under English jurisdiction.[1] The underlying legal framework dates to the 1950s, which permits US military personnel to be prosecuted by American forces when crimes occur during military duty or involve military personnel and their dependents; in other circumstances, British police retain primary investigative rights.[1] A key complicating factor is that the US military applies a narrower definition of rape under the Uniform Code of Military Justice compared to English law.[1]
Over 12,000 American military personnel are currently stationed across at least 15 bases throughout the United Kingdom.[1] Justice Secretary Sarah Sackman stated: "We are saddened for the victim and the other victims who have come forward since."[1] The National Police Chiefs' Council chairperson Gavin Stephens has written to all police force leaders in England and Wales to ensure they understand their legal obligations in cases involving US military members.[1]