A British academic's harrowing experience with the US military justice system has sparked calls for greater scrutiny over how American courts operate on UK soil. Dr Sarah Steele waived her anonymity to speak out about the "distressing and degrading" treatment she received after being strangled by a US fighter pilot in Cambridge.
The incident, which occurred in late 2023, began with an innocent meeting between Steele and Captain Jacob Wulfson, 32, on a dating app. However, the situation quickly turned violent when Wulfson attacked her off a US base in England. The case took an unusual turn when American military police promptly took over the investigation, despite the assault occurring on British territory.
Wulfson was subsequently tried by US Air Force prosecutors at RAF Lakenheath in West Suffolk, the largest US military base in the UK, in April 2024. Dr Steele described the court martial as "archaic and bizarre", highlighting that Wulfson was convicted of strangling an intimate partner but acquitted of sexual assault. The conviction carried a six-month sentence, handed down by an all-male panel of air force officers who served as the equivalent of a jury.
Legal experts suggest that if Wulfson's case had been heard within the British criminal justice system, he would likely have faced a charge of rape, with any sentence determined by a judge. Dr Steele's experience raises concerns about the practice of UK law enforcement ceding primary jurisdiction to the US military, even for crimes committed by off-duty personnel outside of US bases.
Dr Steele, 42, expressed her concern that many in the UK are unaware of these "little pockets of American jurisdiction" on British soil. She argues that decisions by UK police forces to hand over responsibility for such cases to US military police and prosecutors require greater oversight, particularly when British citizens are victims of crimes committed by visiting American service personnel.
Wulfson's conviction for strangulation is now subject to an automatic appeal by a higher military court. Dr Steele's account sheds significant light on the procedural challenges and emotional toll of navigating a foreign justice system within the UK, highlighting the need for greater transparency in these cases.