Retired US General Faces ‘Article 32’ Hearing Over Charges of Raping of Minor

A retired US Army Major General is facing a grand jury hearing charges over alleged raping of an underage female during the 1980s.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A retired US Army Major General is facing a grand jury hearing, known in the military as an Article 32, to determine whether the former officer will be court martialed on charges that he repeatedly raped an underage female during the 1980s, the US Army said in a press release on Monday.

"Retired Maj. Gen. James Grazioplene is charged with a violation of Article 120, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), with six specifications of rape of a minor on multiple occasions between 1983 and 1989," the release stated.

The hearing is scheduled Saturday at 9:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. GMT), according to the release, which stressed that the charges are accusations only and that Grazioplene is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

"Article 32 of the UCMJ requires the completion of a pre-trial investigation before a case may be referred to trial," the release said.

If Grazioplene is found guilty, he will face dismissal from the Army, total forfeiture of his retirement pay and allowances, and life in prison with the possibility of parole, the release added.

The legal proceedings will be conducted at Fort Meade in the US state of Maryland, the release said.