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August 14, 2012

Soldier Gets 6-Month Sentence for Hazing Death of Pvt. Danny Chen 
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The second of eight U.S. soldiers court-martialed in the death of Army
Private Danny Chen has reached a plea deal that will see him discharged
and spend six months behind bars. A 19-year-old Chinese American, Chen
allegedly took his own life just weeks after he was deployed to
Afghanistan last October. His family says Chen had been abused by
comrades on an almost daily basis, including racist hazing, with
soldiers throwing rocks at him, calling him ethnic slurs and forcing him
to do push-ups or hang upside down with his mouth full of water. On
Tuesday, Specialist Ryan Offutt pleaded guilty to maltreatment and
hazing in return for evading the more serious charges of negligent
homicide. He was sentenced to six-months confinement and will be
discharged from the military for bad conduct. Reacting to the sentence,
Elizabeth Ou Yang of the civil rights group OCA-New York said Offutt's
punishment could send a message to prevent future hazing.

Elizabeth Ou Yang: "This sentence will not bring back Danny Chen.
Danny's life was cut short at age 19. But what this sentence and verdict
can do is send a loud message to superiors that they will be punished
and punished severely, including discharge from the military, if they
engage in similar types of misconduct."

 

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