(Possible Spoiler).
This is an excellent film. I lived in Germany (stationed with the US Air Force) in an area near where this film was shot. US Military in Germany were under a "status of forces agreement", which is basically a treaty between two countries, to offer legal protection to military forces.
In Germany, the military courts usually have "dibs" on crimes committed on German soil, by foreign military. The German government can waive jurisdiction, if it chooses to.
In the film, the four defendants are basically "scum-bags", who brutally rape a German girl. The rape is not in question. The film goes to some of the subtleties of US military law, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
What boggles my mind, is that when the crime took place, you could go to a house of prostitution, and get sex for DM40 (about 18 US dollars).
During this time period, the court would put the victim on trial, and bring her past sex life up for scrutiny. Fortunately, victim shield laws have done away with this sordid practice.
This is an excellent film. I lived in Germany (stationed with the US Air Force) in an area near where this film was shot. US Military in Germany were under a "status of forces agreement", which is basically a treaty between two countries, to offer legal protection to military forces.
In Germany, the military courts usually have "dibs" on crimes committed on German soil, by foreign military. The German government can waive jurisdiction, if it chooses to.
In the film, the four defendants are basically "scum-bags", who brutally rape a German girl. The rape is not in question. The film goes to some of the subtleties of US military law, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
What boggles my mind, is that when the crime took place, you could go to a house of prostitution, and get sex for DM40 (about 18 US dollars).
During this time period, the court would put the victim on trial, and bring her past sex life up for scrutiny. Fortunately, victim shield laws have done away with this sordid practice.