Former army captain cleared after ‘humiliating’ dawn raid arrest over Iraq comments made TEN YEARS ago
Officer refused to give statement about professional conduct of ex-partner and was denied access to toilet when questioned by controversial IHAT team
A FORMER Army captain was left “shocked” and “humiliated” when she was arrested by a controversial investigation team looking into abuse by British soldiers in Iraq.
Captain Rachel Webster, 48, had refused to give a statement regarding the professional conduct of an ex-partner in 2013 but was detained in a dawn raid just three months later.
10 years ago, in 2006, she made comments about her ex-boyfriend’s professional conduct in Iraq that were dealt with by her commanding officer at the time.
She was arrested without warning by the controversial Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) whose officers dragged her out of her home in January 2014.
reports that during the arrest, for suspicion of misconduct in a public office, it is understood her breasts were briefly exposed during a tussle with IHAT officers.
She also alleges that she was denied access to a toilet when she became unwell after they drove her 80 miles to a military base in Portsmouth for questioning.
She was interrogated for 14 hours and said she felt her treatment was “tantamount to being kidnapped by the state”.
The investigation into her was only shut last month – two and a half years after she was arrested.
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Last night IHAT admitted her arrest had been “unnecessary” and said the case against Rachel had been closed with no action taken.
An IHAT spokesman said: “Every effort was made to ensure that the arrest was carried out sensitively and we regret any distress that has been caused.”
Johnny Mercer, a Conservative MP, said: “It is clear what has happened to Rachel was illegal, unacceptable and a shameful dereliction by those in charge.”
Mr Mercer is also a former soldier and is conducting a parliamentary inquiry into the treatment of troops by IHAT.
He added: “It is an abuse of power. This case symbolises the abuse of power and the madness of IHAT.”
Rachel was awarded £5,000 in damages for her wrongful arrest – but until now the reason for the raid had not been disclosed.
The comments made by Rachel about her former boyfriend occurred in 2006 while she was serving with the Army in Afghanistan but she had previously been on the ground in Iraq in 2003.
The claims made about her former partner’s professional conduct in Iraq cannot be reported for legal reasons but were dealt with at the time by her commanding officer in Afghanistan.
Friends of Rachel accuse IHAT of trawling through her military record to put pressure on her over her former partner’s activities.
Another friend said that she was left “shocked” and humiliated” by the way the IHAT officers behaved.
IHAT is currently investigating almost 1,500 cases of alleged mistreatment and unlawful killing of Iraqis.
Rachel left the military in 2013 and is one of just seven soldiers to have been arrested in six years as part of the £57 million inquiry.
Earlier this week The Sun reported exclusively that Prince Harry was furious with the way IHAT had treated British soldiers and that he had come to view the pricey inquiry as a “joke”.
However, he has since denied making the jibe and released a statement clarifying his position.
The 32-year-old Royal, who is fifth in line to the throne, served two tours of Afghanistan and is a former attack helicopter pilot.
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