Claims that British military personnel committed sexual and physical abuse of Iraqi civilians are being investigated by the Ministry of Defence.
Lawyers acting for former Iraqi detainees are calling for a full public inquiry into 33 abuse claims made during British military involvement in Iraq, among the allegations is that two soldiers raped a 16-year-old boy in 2003.

The Public Interest Lawyers Report, “British Forces in Iraq: The Emerging Picture of Human Rights Violations and the Role of Judicial Review“, summarised the allegations as at 30 June 2009.

Since British forces left Iraq in the summer there have been a surge in allegations of abuse and torture.