Key facts
- L/Cpl Nicholas Horne serves in the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, known as The Highlanders.
- The Defence Serious Crime Command said Horne was charged on October 23, 2026, and arrested on October 19.
- Horne was remanded in custody pending a court-martial hearing, the DSCC said.
A British soldier has been charged with the rape of a UK army servicewoman in Cyprus, the Defence Serious Crime Command said. L/Cpl Nicholas Horne, of the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, known as The Highlanders, was charged with one count of rape on October 23, 2026.
The DSCC, which investigates serious crime by military personnel, said Horne was arrested on October 19, two days after it was informed of the reported rape of a woman serving in British Forces Cyprus. He was remanded in custody pending a court-martial hearing. The charge followed an investigation by the DSCC's major crime team with service police partners.
A British army spokesperson said: "We can confirm that L/Cpl Nicholas Horne was charged with one count of rape on 23 October 2026, following an investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command." The spokesperson added: "We recognise the great courage it takes to come forward and report an offence. Anyone convicted of a sexual offence will be discharged from the service." The DSCC said anyone affected by sexual offences in the armed forces is encouraged to contact it.
The Ministry of Defence has widened efforts against sexual violence and misconduct in recent years. Last year it said specialist teams would be deployed at UK military locations at home and overseas, after its first official survey of sexual harassment across the armed forces found nearly one in 10 women serving full-time had been subjected to an assault or other non-consensual sexual activity in the previous year.