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Written question asked by Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party) on Monday, 29 June 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 July 2026. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Jacob Wulfson

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what information they have about the reasons and justification for transferring of the sexual assault case against US pilot Captain Jacob Wulfson from the UK civil justice system to the UK military one; in how many other cases has such a transfer been made in the past five years; and whether they have any plans to stop such transfers.

Answer

Following the deeply distressing case involving US Captain Wulfson, government officials are working closely with Cambridgeshire police to establish the full facts of how jurisdiction was enacted. This case is extremely concerning, and our thoughts are with the victim.

The Visiting Forces Act (1952) sets out the legal basis for how jurisdiction for criminal offences should be decided between the UK civil authorities and a Visiting Force’s service court martial. This is implemented in practice by the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the UK courts as part of the criminal justice system.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL1378
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Armed forces Civil proceedings Sexual offences USA Wulfson, Jacob
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk