Two British women who accused a US airman of rape have spoken about their traumatic experience of giving evidence at a military court martial. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Rebecca (name changed) alleged that Senior Airman Tyrion Davis raped her at his home in Brandon, Suffolk, in June 2020. She called 999 in tears, and police took her to a sexual assault referral centre where a nurse photographed bruises and bite marks on her neck. 'I didn't feel like I was a human,' said Rebecca, then a 20-year-old British midwifery student.
Twenty days after Suffolk police began their investigation, they handed the case to the US Air Force. This meant Davis avoided the British justice system and faced a court martial at RAF Lakenheath. The trial took place in June 2022. Davis denied the allegations but was convicted of sexually assaulting his estranged wife Emily (name changed) by 'penetrating her vulva with his penis, without her consent'. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison and dishonourably discharged from the US Air Force.
Rebecca and Emily said the all-military jury panel undermined their confidence. 'It's like having all my nursing colleagues on the jury,' Rebecca said. She met Davis in 2017, and Emily married him in 2018, but the marriage was short-lived. Rebecca alleged Davis attacked her within hours of her arrival at his home: 'I thought I was going to die there. He bit me, held me in the dark. He only stopped when I vomited.' She also said he pushed her into the shower and raped her again.
Davis was acquitted of 10 further counts but found guilty of one count against Emily. The women criticised the military justice system as unfair.