U.S. soldier sentenced to 100 years for rape, murder of Iraqi girl

Source: Xinhuanet | 02-23-2007 18:55

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. soldier was sentenced Thursday to 100 years in prison for rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and killing of her family last year, U.S. media reported.

Sgt. Paul E. Cortez, 24, was also given a dishonorable discharge under a plea agreement he reached Tuesday with prosecutors prior to a court-martial at Fort Campbell, Kentucky,

In the plea agreement, Cortez, of Barstow, California, said he conspired with three other soldiers, Jesse V. Spielman, James P. Barker and Steven D. Green, to rape 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi in Mahmoudiya, a village about 32 km south of Baghdad, in March 2006.

Janabi and her father (File Photo)

On March 12, 2006, five U.S. soldiers, all from the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, reportedly broke into the girl's home, raping and murdering her, and then killing her parents and her six-year-old sister.

One of those soldiers involved in the gang rape case, James Barker, was sentenced to 90 years in jail in November last year under a plea agreement, and has agreed to testify against the others in the case.

A fifth person, former soldier Steven Green, had been charged in a civilian court and he pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and sexual assault.

Editor:Du Xiaodan