UK Officials Criticize US Military Prosecution in Strangling Case

UK officials have stated that police should not have allowed the U.S. military to prosecute an American fighter pilot accused of strangling a British woman, according to documents obtained by The Guardian. Captain Jacob Wulfson faced accusations of drugging, raping, and strangling Sarah Steele in his Cambridge apartment while off-duty. Cambridgeshire Constabulary initially received the accusations but subsequently transferred responsibility for the investigation to the U.S. military upon their request to lead the inquiry.

Instead of facing the British criminal justice system, Captain Wulfson was tried before an all-male military tribunal. He was acquitted of aggravated sexual assault but convicted of strangling Ms. Steele. Documents indicate that officials questioned the decision to transfer the case, arguing it did not meet the conditions stipulated in an agreement between U.K. authorities and the U.S. military. This agreement generally permits U.S. military jurisdiction only if offenses are committed while personnel are on duty or against another member of the armed forces or their property.

Several Ministry of Defence officials expressed concern. One MoD official in Washington wrote on July 8 that the case "does not, on the surface, appear to meet the bar for a visiting force [the U.S. military] to be awarded jurisdiction." Earlier, other MoD officials noted that the decision-making in this specific case "seemed at odds with what is very clear" in the agreement, with one concluding that the matter "should absolutely have been for the U.K. courts."

Separately, a police officer from Greater Manchester Police emailed the MoD on July 6, stating that Cambridgeshire police had "wrongly, in my view" handed the investigation to the U.S. military. Prosecutions conducted by the military typically do not occur in public and may not offer victims the same protections or support as a U.K. court.

Ms. Steele described her court-martial experience at RAF Lakenheath as "degrading" and "aggressive," characterizing it as a "character assassination." Wulfson was charged with "aggravated sexual assault" rather than rape under U.S. military law. The case was heard by a panel of eight air force officers stationed at the same base. He was found not guilty of the sexual assault charge, where Ms. Steele claimed she was drugged and strangled before non-consensual sex. The defense suggested her injuries were self-inflicted due to a previous assault.

Wulfson was convicted of strangling Ms. Steele and disobeying a commander's orders not to contact the victim. He was sentenced to six months detention at a military correction facility, with the maximum sentence available being 13 years. He also received a formal reprimand and was dismissed from the air force, resulting in a felony conviction and implications for veteran benefits. He is scheduled to return to the U.S. in September.

Justice Minister Jake Richards stated that a "thorough and objective look at this case" would follow the tribunal. He added, "It's a really serious case… I'm going to take it back to the Ministry of Justice and make sure that we are looking into the details of this."

During the court-martial, it was heard that Wulfson and Ms. Steele met in December 2023 after connecting on the dating app Tinder. Ms. Steele had reportedly set "ground rules" including "no means no… no hands on my neck… condoms please." The prosecution alleged that etizolam, a central nervous system depressant, entered Ms. Steele's system, though Wulfson was cleared of this allegation. Ms. Steele reported waking up naked in a bath of cold water and being driven home by Wulfson. An A&E doctor later noted bruising, and a sexual assault referral centre took samples and photographs, but these were not admissible as evidence under U.S. law in the hearing.

Following Ms. Steele's case, other instances of U.S. military personnel facing prosecution for alleged off-duty offenses have surfaced. Notably, Tyrion Davis was accused of raping two women in Suffolk but was convicted by fellow airmen of a single charge of sexual assault, cleared of ten other charges.

The government has since initiated an inquiry into the matter. Cambridgeshire Constabulary has been contacted for comment.