British soldier charged with rape of army servicewoman in Cyprus

L/Cpl Nicholas Horne, from 4th Battalion of Royal Regiment of Scotland, charged with one count of rape on 23 October

A British soldier has been charged with the alleged rape of a UK army servicewoman in Cyprus.

L/Cpl Nicholas Horne, who serves in the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as The Highlanders, was charged with one count of rape on 23 October, the Defence Serious Crime Command (DSCC) said.

He was arrested on 19 October, two days after the DSCC was informed of the reported rape of a woman serving in British Forces Cyprus.

Horne was remanded in custody pending a court-martial hearing.

The charge comes after an investigation of the DSCC’s major crime team, conducted 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.

“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, which investigates serious crime committed by military personnel, said anyone affected by sexual offences in the armed forces is encouraged to contact them.

The Ministry of Defence has stepped up efforts to tackle sexual violence and sexual misconduct in recent years.

Last year it announced specialist teams would be deployed at UK military locations in the UK and overseas. The move came after the MoD’s first official survey of sexual harassment across the armed forces found nearly one in 10 women serving full-time in the British military had been subjected to an assault or other non-consensual sexual activity in the previous year.