Marie Tessier / The Woman's Media Center - A military judge in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, yesterday sentenced U.S. Army Spec. James P. Barker to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Barker had pled guilty to 16 crimes related to the gang rape and premeditated murder of 14-year-old Abeer Al-Janabi and her family in Mahmoudiya, Iraq, earlier this year.

“Spec. Barker is deeply remorseful about what happened,” said David Sheldon, Barker’s Washington-based civilian defense attorney, before the sentence was delivered, adding that Barker would “apologize to his command, to the Al-Janabi family, and to Iraq for his actions.”

With his plea, Barker avoided a possible death penalty had the case gone to court-martial. The sentence also included a dishonorable discharge.

Barker is the first of five men involved in the March 2006 attack to plead guilty, and his attorneys say he will cooperate with the prosecution. Sgt. Paul E. Cortez, Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman and Pfc. Bryan L. Howard are charged with rape and murder and await court-martial. In an unusual arrangement, none entered a plea at the time of their arraignments in recent weeks, according to Fort Campbell officials. Read more @ The Woman's Media Center

Soldier Pleads Guilty - First Sentencing Expected
See also: Rape, Murder, and the American GI
This article was first published @ womensmediacenter
Action for Abeer