British Army Sergeant Accused of Raping Woman in Belize

A British Army sergeant is accused of raping a female colleague after a night out in Belize, a court martial has heard.

Sergeant Tauhakau Viavialevu, a member of the Welsh Guards, is accused of assaulting the woman in a hotel room with a single double bed, which he had booked for the night.

According to the prosecution at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire, Sgt. Viavialevu had been drinking heavily at a bar earlier in the evening before returning to the room. The court heard that during the night, he allegedly began ‘spooning’ the female soldier, who tried to move away. Despite her repeated objections and requests for him to stop, Sgt. Viavialevu reportedly kissed her neck, removed her clothes, and forced himself on her.

The prosecutor, Colonel Jim Carmichael, described how the woman attempted to resist by closing her legs and verbally protesting. However, Sgt. Viavialevu allegedly held her arms down and ignored her pleas, proceeding to assault her. The court heard that the next morning, he acted as though nothing had happened.

The female soldier, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, initially tried to continue with her duties but later reported the alleged assault after an incident in which Sgt. Viavialevu slapped her on the bottom. In a police interview shown to the court, she described feeling “hopeless” and “angry” during the attack. She said, “I kept saying, ‘Can you stop?’ He was just not listening to me. I felt like I was looking at a different person.”

Sgt. Viavialevu denies the charges of rape and sexual assault by penetration, asserting that nothing sexual occurred between them. The trial is ongoing.