Marines uncover wide abuse, hazing after recruit’s suicide

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – The Marine Corps is considering possible punishments and potential courts-martial for up to 20 officers and enlisted leaders following investigations into the suicide of a 20-year-old recruit at its Parris Island training facility in South Carolina.

The results of three investigations released Thursday found trainees – and even some drill instructors – were subjected to repeated verbal and physical abuse at the storied training site. It also faulted commanders for paying insufficient attention to what was going on.

The investigations were sparked by the death of Raheel Siddiqui of Taylor, Michigan, a young Muslim who had told his relatives he wanted to become a Marine to serve his country. He died after falling nearly 40 feet in a stairwell.

An attorney for Siddiqui’s family, Shiraz Khan, released a statement to the Detroit Free Press on Thursday saying he and the family are reviewing the findings.

“There are too many questions that remain unanswered. We will work with NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) as they move forward with their investigation.”

Some of the 20 commanders and senior enlisted leaders have already been fired, including the three most senior Marines in charge of the recruit’s unit. The Marines also ordered that the rest be temporarily relieved, according to a statement sent to The Associated Press. Discipline could range from administrative punishments, such as counseling, to the most severe action of military charges and courts-martial.

No formal charges have been filed. Under military law, a preliminary hearing must be held that will determine whether the incident warrants further administrative or judicial action in every individual’s case. That process could take weeks to months, and the individuals would not be identified unless they are formally charged.

A redacted investigative report did not mention Siddiqui by name but appeared to describe his death. It says that on March 18, the day Siddiqui died, an unnamed recruit wrote a note to his drill instructor asking to go to the infirmary for a sore throat. Because he didn’t follow proper procedure, the recruit was forced to run back and forth in his barracks, the report said.

After several runs, the recruit began to cry and fell to the floor clutching his throat, apparently unresponsive, the report said. He was ordered to get up and was slapped in the face, it said. After he was slapped, the recruit ran out a door and vaulted over a railing on the third floor of the barracks, the report said.

The investigation also revealed “recurrent physical and verbal abuse of recruits by drill instructors,” with a lack of oversight by officers. Even new drill instructors were subjected to abuse by more senior drill instructors, a practice known as “hat hazing” because of the iconic flat-brimmed hats worn by the instructors.

The statement said immediate steps have been taken to enforce a “zero-tolerance” approach to hazing, and called for increased oversight of training activities by additional Marine Corps officers.

The report said the investigation found the abuse was confined to Siddiqui’s battalion at Parris Island, but the ordered changes to policy will apply to all battalions at Parris Island and the Marine Corps’ West Coast training facility in San Diego.