RAF MILDENHALL, England — The court-martial for an airman accused of raping two other airmen is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Airman Renato Sanchez Del Carpio, stationed at RAF Lakenheath, faces charges in connection to the Oct. 28, 2005, rape of an airman basic, and the rape of an airman on Oct. 4, 2006.
A base spokesman said the rape in 2006 took place at or near building 907, the base’s library, while the 2005 incident happened nearby at building 920, a dormitory.
Del Carpio is a medical professional with the 48th Dental Squadron.
The trial was originally slated to go forward in August, but was delayed so paperwork could be retrieved, Lakenheath representatives said at the time.
It is not clear at this point what the circumstances are surrounding the alleged rapes.
“Providing information outside the specification of charges has the potential to taint the jury and would be inappropriate to release at this time,” Lakenheath spokeswoman Capt. Tisha Wright said in an August e-mail.
Del Carpio is not being held in pretrial confinement.
Despite repeated requests, Stars and Stripes was not informed of Del Carpio’s Article 32 hearing earlier this year. An Article 32 is the equivalent of a grand jury proceeding where evidence is weighed by a judge to decide whether a case has enough merit to go to trial.
Article 32 hearings are open to the public.
