BRASILIA (BDCi) – U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (pictured left) has announced that three Marines have been punished for allegedly harming a prostitute while they were in Brazil this past December.
The three Marines were security guards assigned to the Brasilia U.S. embassy.
An embassy staffer was also involved in the incident.
A woman claiming to be the victim said in a local interview that she began arguing with the men’s driver upon leaving a nightclub.
She says one of the Americans shoved her out of the car and that she fell, it her head on the ground and passed out.
All three Marines were disciplined, two were demoted and one can no longer re-enlist while the embassy staffer has been removed from his post.
The nature of the woman’s injuries has yet to be confirmed and it is still unknown whether the argument was over money.
By: Diego Díaz Source: Reuters Photo: Google 24 April 2012
8:10 p.m. P.D.T.