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Iraq War Vet Accused of Raping a Three Month Old Baby
February 20, 2008 |
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This gruesome report from Jackson, Michigan serves as a reminder that the sexual violence and the blatant disregard for the lives of civilians, particularly women and children, that is an inevitable part of militarism does not end when soldiers leave the battlefield:
"A former Army paratrooper who served two tours of duty in Iraq has been ordered tried on charges of raping and critically injuring a 3-month-old girl.
Kirk Coleman is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree child abuse, charges that carry up to life in prison.The girl sustained brain damage and 17 broken bones and is undergoing therapy. District Judge R. Darryl Mazur ruled Tuesday there's enough evidence to warrant a trial.
Coleman allegedly told investigators he blacked out after drinking heavily and taking pain killers and awoke to find the injured baby in her crib."Unfortunately, as reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo indicate, we are likely to see more of these cases as soldiers come back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lucinda Marshall is a feminist artist, writer and activist. She is the Founder of the Feminist Peace Network. Her work has been published in numerous publications in the U.S. and abroad including, Counterpunch, AlterNet, Dissident Voice, Off Our Backs, the Progressive, Countercurrents, Z Magazine, Common Dreams, In These Times and Information Clearinghouse. She also blogs at WIMN Online and writes a monthly column for the Louisville Eccentric Observer.
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