Cambridgeshire Police Hand Over Sexual Assault Case to US Air Force

On 1 December 2023, Sarah Steele, a 42-year-old academic, was strangled by US Air Force pilot Wulfson in his flat in Cambridge. Cambridgeshire Constabulary ceded investigative primacy to the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). Wulfson was tried by a court-martial at RAF Lakenheath in April 2026, convicted of strangulation, sentenced to six months and dismissed.

The Guardian

UK law requires local police to investigate crimes on soil, even when the suspect is a US service member off duty. The US often seeks to retain jurisdiction. Norfolk and Suffolk police’s 2023 policy says they “will not usually waive jurisdiction” when a UK citizen is harmed.

The Guardian

1 Dec 2023 – assault; 3 Dec 2023 – Steele taken to a clinic and interviewed by OSI, which assumed case control. Feb 2024 – Cambridgeshire welfare visit; Steele says she wishes US investigation to continue. Apr 2026 – court-martial convicts Wulfson, six-month sentence. Jun 2026 – report prompts UK review.

The Guardian

Cambridgeshire Constabulary said its decision was guided by a ‘victim-led consideration’ after US Air Force information indicated Steele did not wish to be contacted. US Air Force spokesperson said jurisdiction was negotiated and that the constabulary ‘was an active partner throughout the investigation.’ The prime minister’s spokesperson called the case ‘deeply distressing.’

The Guardian

Steele disputes the police claim that she declined contact with police, saying she never expressed such a wish. She called US process ‘degrading and distressing’ and likened hand-over to ‘the train left the station.’ Labour MP Jess Phillips and Conservative MP Nick Timothy have called for review of hand-over and for recording victim consent.

The Guardian

Cambridgeshire police assert Steele confirmed she wanted the US investigation to continue; Steele says she never gave such confirmation. No public record of the decision to relinquish jurisdiction exists, despite the Norfolk-Suffolk policy requiring documentation. It remains unclear whether UK authorities could have retained primary investigative authority.

The Guardian

• “I absolutely did not tell anyone then that I didn’t wish to speak to the British police,” — Sarah Steele

The Guardian

• “Cambridgeshire constabulary agreed to let the USAF take the lead and was an active partner throughout the investigation,” — US Air Force spokesperson

The Guardian

• “No UK victim should be handed over to the US military for a crime committed on UK soil unless that is exactly what they want to happen,” — Jess Phillips

The Guardian

• “This case should have been fully investigated by the English police and prosecuted in our courts,” — Nick Timothy

The Guardian

UK government has pledged a review of the case and protocols governing jurisdiction over offences involving US service members. Proposed legislation would require documented victim consent before any transfer of investigative authority and align practice with the Norfolk-Suffolk policy. Parliamentary scrutiny of the December 2023 decision is expected.

The Guardian