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| Afghanistan |
| Soldier in Afghanistan 'friendly fire' incident faces manslaughter charge |
| 2010-10-24 |
| Manslaughter charges are being drawn up in connection with the death of a Royal Military Police officer in Afghanistan in a "friendly fire" incident, the Observer has learned. Lance Corporal Michael Pritchard, 22, was shot dead by a British army sniper in Helmand last December while at an observation post. A military investigation has revealed that "Pritch", as he was known to his colleagues, had been watched by members of an army patrol base for an hour before he was shot, apparently after being mistaken for a member of the Taliban. Last week the Observer reported that Michael's mother, Helen Perry, had concerns about the way the investigation into her son's death was being conducted. Mrs Perry questioned the length of time it had taken and expressed dismay that she had learned her son had been killed by a sniper only five months after the incident, when an army padre had mentioned it at a reunion ceremony. The Ministry of Defence has now confirmed to Mrs Perry that a soldier is to be referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority for manslaughter by gross negligence. The authority will then decide whether the soldier should be charged, opening the way to a court martial. Mrs Perry said she felt shocked that a soldier might face charges in relation to her son's death, but added: "When you've been fighting for the truth a long time, there's a great release when you are told it might finally come." Mrs Perry said said she hoped her campaign would help prevent similar incidents in the future and ensure that bereaved families are given greater access to information about how their loved ones died at an earlier stage. "I am grateful that we are progressing in this investigation and want to thank the press and the media for their continued support," she said. "All I want is the truth and an honest account of what happened to my son. He was serving his Queen and country and deserves to be honoured with the truth." John Cooper, QC, who is representing Michael's family, said he hoped any prosecution would not undermine a need to understand the wider failings that led up to the lance corporal's death. "Whereas the family welcomes any inquiry into potential criminality they do not want such an inquiry to be used as a whitewash for wider systemic failure," Cooper said. "They are acutely aware of the potential that one person could used as a scapegoat for wider failings." Court martial proceedings would delay an inquest into Michael's death, which is due next year. The coroner has promised to share all evidence submitted to the inquest with Michael's family. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Being killed by a friendly sniper while in an OP? Either that friendly sniper had it in for him, or there was a severe breakdown in the NCO chain of command. It is a very basic leadership function to insure that fields of fire do not include friendly positions, unless those positions have been overrun. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-10-24 09:26 |