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August 21, 2012

U.S. Soldier Demoted, Sentenced to 3 Months for Hazing Death of Pvt. Danny Chen 
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The third of eight U.S. soldiers court-martialed in the death of Army
Private Danny Chen has been demoted to sergeant and sentenced to
three-months confinement, with credit for 90 days already served. 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 Friday, Staff Sgt. Blaine Dugas was found guilty of
dereliction of duty for failing to prevent Chen's hazing and making
false statements to investigators. In response to Dugas' punishment of a
demotion and confinement, Elizabeth Ou Yang, president of the civil
rights group OCA-NY said: "The military justice system cannot deliver
justice. [Dugas'] failure to ensure the physical well-being of Private
Chen cost Danny his life."

 

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