A U.S. Army soldier has been sentenced to 100 years in prison in connection with the brutal rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, and the killing of her family.
Sergeant Paul Cortez was sentenced by a military judge Thursday at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The sentence was part of a plea bargain in which Cortez pleaded guilty to four criminal charges, including felony murder and rape.
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He will be eligible for parole in 10 years.
Cortez gave emotional testimony on Wednesday about the March 2006 incident in the southern Iraqi city of Mahmudiyah. He said he and four other soldiers plotted the attack on the family while drinking whiskey and playing cards. The group thought the family would make an easy target because there was only one man in the house.
The soldiers gang-raped Abeer Kassem Hamza al-Janabi, shot her to death and tried to burn her body in an attempt to cover up the crime. They also killed the girl's parents and younger sister.
Cortez is the second soldier to plead guilty to the crime. Specialist James Barker was sentenced to a 90-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in November. Two other soldiers have also been accused in the case. Former Private Steven D. Green, who has been identified as the ringleader, has been charged with rape and murder in a U.S. federal court.
He was discharged from the U.S. Army last May.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters