British Royal Navy Sailors Charged With 'Group Sexual Assault' In Canada

Four members of the British Royal Navy charged with alleged gang rape of a civilian woman at a military base in Halifax, Canada are scheduled to appear at a provincial court for a hearing and bail application on Monday.

Meanwhile, after obtaining search warrants, the military police seized electronic and other belonging of the men for an extensive forensic examination. In fact, military police’s entire 20-person detachment was involved in the case, said Captain Kirsten Pilotte.

The sailors who came to Halifax to participate in a hockey tournament have already appeared in a court on Friday and remained in custody over the weekend at a facility in Dartmouth. They were reportedly arrested on Thursday after the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) charged them with one count of sexual assault and committing a group sexual assault.

Crown prosecutor Scott Morrison informed that the sailors have allegedly committed the act either on the evening of April 9 or early April 10. After the initial court proceedings, Mr. Morrison said that the Crown was determining whether the men could be released from custody and allowed to go to the U.K. during their trial. Meanwhile, Captain Pilotte said, the four men are set to appear before a judge on Monday for a "show-cause hearing" and in case they are eligible for bail, will there any conditions involved.

A court document identified the accused as Craig Stoner, 24, of Stonehouse, Darren Smalley, 35, of Gosport, Joshua Finbow, 23, of Broughton Stockbridge, and Simon Radford, 31, of Lower Gosport. Sources said the victim is a young woman from the Halifax area, who was later taken to hospital for medical examination.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service commander Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Bolduc described that the reports to be “disturbing,” in a statement, while the British Defence Ministry said that the Royal Navy “takes allegations of this nature very seriously;” but it would be “inappropriate to comment further.”

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