WASHINGTON, Sept 27 (AFP) - A military policewoman photographed holding a naked prisoner by a leash at Iraq's Abu Ghrabi prison was ordered Monday to face trial by court martial on charges of conspiracy to mistreat prisonrs, assault and indecent acts.
The US Army said Lieutenant General John Vines, commander of the 18th Airborne Corps, referred 19 charges against Private First Class Lynndie England, the prison guard who became the public face of the Abu Ghraib scandal.
If convicted on all charges, England could face up to 38 years prison, loss of all pay and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge.
England was arraigned Friday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina but deferred entering a plea, the army said in a statement.
The military judge scheduled a hearing on motions presented by lawyers on December 1-3, and scheduled a trial for the period January 17-28, the army said.
A defense attorney said over the weekend that England had been notified of the decision to move ahead with a court martial.
The charges against her include one of conspiracy "to commit maltreatment ... of an Iraqi detainee by posing in a photograph holding a leash around the neck of the detainee."
The photograph was shown around the world after it was leaked to news media along with others that graphically showed Iraqi detainees being physically and sexual abused by guards at Abu Ghraib prison.