England guilty of abuse at Abu Ghraib

FORT HOOD, Texas - US soldier Lynndie England has been found guilty of abusing prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in a scandal that caused international outrage.

She now faces a prison term of up to 10 years.

England, one of a group of reserve soldiers accused of abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib, was found guilty by a military jury on six of seven charges, including maltreatment of prisoners. She was found not guilty on a conspiracy count.

In photographs published around the world, England, a young female Army reservist, was shown holding a naked Iraqi prisoner by a leash and pointing to an inmate's genitals.

England showed no visible reaction as she stood at attention to hear the verdict.

A military prosecutor said England humiliated prisoners because she enjoyed it and had a sick sense of humour, but her attorneys said she took part in the humiliation because of an overly compliant personality.

England's case was the latest in a series of prosecutions or plea bargains of low-level soldiers who served at Abu Ghraib. The military has also reprimanded some higher-ranking officers, and allegations have surfaced of hundreds of other cases of detainee abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan.

- REUTERS