Hunt for Royal Navy recruit after sex attack on female cadet

The male recruit is said to have molested the woman in her room following a formal dinner at the prestigious academy at Dartmouth in Devon - which was once attended by Prince Charles.

Police are investigating the incident which allegedly ended with the man fleeing the scene and going on the run after the victim screamed and fought him off.

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Ministry of Defence Police said officially they were keeping "an open mind" over the identity of the sex-attacker, although insiders confirmed that a Middle Eastern student is "among the possible suspects".

The Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth has trained Britain's naval officers for 150 years, but also accepts students from carefully-selected foreign allies as part of the UK's "defence diplomacy" efforts, to boost the effectiveness of friendly armed forces and foster close international links.

If investigations do point to a Middle Eastern student at Dartmouth as the main suspect the incident threatens to become a major diplomatic headache for the Ministry of Defence.

British forces in the Gulf rely heavily on naval cooperation from Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and the UK also has close military links with Oman as well as the fledgling Iraqi navy.

The alleged sex attack happened in the early hours of Sunday September 23.

The female recruit had gone to bed in a mixed accommodation block, and it is understood she awoke to find a man on top of her, groping and trying to kiss her.

According to the reports the man fled, and he remains on the run two weeks later.

The MOD Police refused to comment officially on the suspect's nationality, although it is understood they have notified at least one foreign embassy in London.

A spokesman said: "We are looking into an allegation of sexual assault. I would stress this is not a rape investigation.

"We are keeping an open mind as to the identity of any suspects."

A Royal Navy spokesman added: "I can confirm MOD police are investigating an allegation of a sexual assault at an accommodation block at Britannia Royal Naval College. Inquiries are continuing but no one has been arrested."

The case follows another incident last month at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, when 22-year-old officer cadet Amii Calway suffered severe head injuries after falling 30ft from a window following a pre-graduation party.

A male cadet was arrested and questioned by police on suspicion of attempted murder, but later released on police bail.

Amii, who is now recovering well and has got engaged to another fellow-cadet, has told investigators she has no clear memory of the incident.