US airman accused of ‘spree’ of rapes on sleeping women avoided UK courts

Loubeau allegedly attacked women in UK over a four-month period in what US prosecutors called a ‘frightening’ pattern. Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty View image in fullscreen Loubeau allegedly attacked women in UK over a four-month period in what US prosecutors called a ‘frightening’ pattern. Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty US airman accused of ‘spree’ of rapes on sleeping women avoided UK courts Suffolk police ceded investigation into James Loubeau to the US military, leading to court martial acquittal A US airman accused of a “spree” of rapes and sexual assaults in England, drugging some women and breaking into the homes of others, was able to avoid British justice after local police handed over part of the case to the American military. Two British women went to Suffolk police in August 2019 to allege that James Loubeau and another US airman had drugged and raped them after they met in a nightclub in Bury St Edmunds, a local market town. Less than two weeks later, Suffolk police allowed the US air force to take responsibility for investigating the two alleged rapes . It has since emerged that Loubeau, 38, allegedly attacked a total of six women in East Anglia over a four-month period in 2019, in what US prosecutors described as a “frightening and dangerous” pattern of assaults. In July last year, a court in Miami, Florida, convicted Loubeau of sexual assaulting one of the women on a military base in England. Prosecutors in the case said the airman had believed he could attack women with “impunity”. He received a five-year prison sentence and will be monitored for two decades after his release because of the risk he poses to the public. The fact Loubeau was eventually brought to justice in a court more than 4,000 miles from his alleged crimes will add pressure on Suffolk police to explain its decision to cede jurisdiction in the case. It is declining to do so. ‘In and out of consciousness’ How the US bypasses British courts to try its military over crimes in the UK Read more Three of Loubeau’s alleged victims were female military personnel stationed alongside him at RAF Mildenhall, an American military base in Suffolk. Under the terms of a 1951 agreement between the US and UK, the American military can claim responsibility for investigating alleged crimes when the victim is another member of the US armed forces. They also have jurisdiction over alleged crimes that occur when a member of their military is on duty. In almost all other instances, the local British police force have primary responsibility for investigating crimes on UK soil. Three of Loubeau’s alleged victims were British and accused him of attacking them while he was off-duty. They include the two women who first met him and his friend, another US airman, in a nightclub in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Court papers suggest the American airmen offered to drive the women home but instead drove to the Mildenhall base, where they went to Loubeau’s bedroom. One of the women said t