Lynddie England found guilty of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison

Lynddie England found guilty of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison

Lynndie England, the American soldier who was photographed smiling in photographs of Iraqi prisoners being abused at the Abu Ghraib prison, has been found guilty of mistreating detainees.

A military court convicted England, 22, of all but one of the seven counts against her.

She was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, four counts of maltreating detainees and one count of committing an indecent act. She was acquitted on a second conspiracy count.

The jury of five male officers needed slightly more than two hours to reach its verdict. Her case now moves into the sentencing phase, which will determined by the same jury of five Army officers. She faces a maximum 10 years in prison…

Two other soldiers who were involved in the abuse scandal have already been convicted at trial and the other six made plea bargains. Several of those soldiers testified at England’s trial, which was the last in connection with the crimes.

In photos shown by the prosecution, England appears holding a naked detainee on a leash, while in others she smiles and points to prisoners in humiliating poses.

They also pointed to her own statement to Army investigators in January 2004 in which she said the mistreatment was done to amuse the American guards at Abu Ghraib.

The defense argued that England suffered from depression and that she has an overly compliant personality, making her a heedless participant in the abuse.