§ 48. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the raping of six young British girls in Libya by Libyan soldiers; whether the advice rendered by the British Consul in Libya that the girls should let themselves be raped was made with his authority; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LuardTwo British women were raped by Libyan soldiers at the time of the recent coup. I am not aware of other cases of rape but four cases of sexual assault were reported by our Embassy.
In the course of informal conversation with a small number of British women who sought his advice, the Consul explained to them that there were groups of young, over-excited and trigger-happy soldiers at large in Tripoli and mentioned the risks, for example death or serious injury, that could result if rape were resisted.
Though no authority was sought for it, I consider that in the circumstances this advice was sound. The two women themselves have since written to the Embassy saying that they are convinced that this was "the only sensible and practical advice in the circumstances".
§ Mr. Roebuckasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what compensation has been sought through his Department on behalf of British subjects who were attacked in Libya following the coup there last September; and with what result.
§ Mr. Roebuckasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will state the number of British subjects who were given sanctuary in Her Majesty's Embassy and consular buildings in Libya in conse- 6W quence of the danger faced as a result of the coup there last September.
§ Mr. LuardNone. But some British subjects were given temporary accommodation in private residences of Embassy staff.
§ Mr. Roebuckasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give details of the personal risk run by the staff of Her Majesty's Embassy and consular officials in giving assistance to British subjects at the time of the coup in Libya last September.
§ Mr. LuardStaff were called out during hours of curfew when most shooting took place and any movement in the streets was hazardous. On numerous occasions Embassy staff were held at gun point.
§ Mr. Roebuckasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what infringements of diplomatic immunity affecting British officials occurred in Libya following the coup there in September last.
§ Mr. LuardDuring the first week of September armed Libyan soldiers twice made unauthorised entry into British Embassy premises in Benghazi, and on one occasion a group of soldiers attempted to search the Embassy building in Tripoli. On all three occasions they withdrew after strong protests, and we subsequently received apologies from the Libyan authorities. In addition, individual members of British Embassy staffs in both Tripoli and Benghazi were at times subjected, during the first days of the coup, to harassment by Libyan soldiers as they travelled either from their homes to the Embassy offices or whilst endeavouring to visit members of the British community.
§ Mr. Roebuckasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the reply received from the Libyan Government to his request that the perpetrators of assaults on British subjects will be brought to justice.
§ Mr. Roebuckasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth 7W Affairs in what premises were two British subjects raped by troops during the coup in Libya last September.