A British soldier has been charged with the rape of a woman serving with the UK armed forces in Cyprus. Lance Corporal 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 said.

Horne was arrested on 19 October, two days after the Defence Serious Crime Command, known as the DSCC, was informed of the alleged rape of a woman serving in British Forces Cyprus. He has been remanded in custody pending a court-martial hearing. A charge is an allegation and does not establish guilt, and no plea has been reported.

Who is investigating

The charge follows an investigation by the DSCC's major crime team, working with service police partners. The DSCC independently investigates serious crime committed by people subject to service law in the UK and overseas, including sexual offences.

An Army spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Lance Corporal Nicholas Horne was charged with one count of rape on 23rd October 2026, following an investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command." The DSCC said anyone affected by sexual offences in the armed forces is encouraged to contact them.

British Forces Cyprus

British Forces Cyprus is part of the British Armed Forces, based on the island where the UK retained two sovereign base areas, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, under the 1960 treaty that established the Republic of Cyprus and ended its status as a British colony. The bases in the south and south-east of the island remain a permanent home for British military personnel and their families.

The 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Highlanders, is one of the Army's infantry battalions. Personnel from British units rotate through Cyprus on postings and exercises, and the island also hosts RAF Akrotiri, a permanent joint operating base used for operations across the Middle East.

What happens next

Horne remains in custody while the case proceeds towards a court martial, the military court that tries serious offences by service personnel. No date for the hearing has been made public, and no further details about the circumstances of the allegation have been released.

The case comes as the armed forces continue to face scrutiny over how they handle sexual offences. The DSCC was set up to give service personnel and their families an independent route for reporting serious crime, separate from the chain of command of the unit involved.

Sources: Sunshine Radio (Sky News) and Lubbock Post (The Guardian).