A CNN report has unveiled disturbing accusations against the British Army, training in Kenya, of raping local women and abandoning their children. Headquartered in Nanyuki, the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) is currently under investigation by Kenya’s Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Relations committee. It has held public hearings in the communities where BATUK troops train, many of which have registered complaints about abuse, exploitation, and assault. At the end of the month, the committee will hear testimony from BATUK officials and the British High Commissioner to Kenya before making its conclusion. Allegations of rape against British soldiers date back to the 1950s. Despite filing hundreds of complaints with the UK military, many of the victims do not get justice or closure, and their children never know their fathers. However, new legal provisions in a 2021 defense pact allow for these cases to be tried in Kenyan courts, offering hope for justice.
SOURCE: CNN
