The former commander of Dutch forces in the Afghan province of Uruzgan has been sentenced to 80 hours of community service for physically abusing his partner.

The Arnhem military court found Colonel Richard van Harskamp guilty of beating and kicking his partner on four separate occasions. In 2008, Colonel van Harskamp led Taskforce Uruzgan and earlier commanded a combat group in Iraq.

The colonel has confessed to most of the charges. Colonel van Harskamp has since gone into therapy to address his anger issues and the couple is in relational therapy.

The colonel has been relieved of his duties at the Nederlandse Defensie Academie (Dutch Defence Academy) where he was in charge of the curriculum, and has been reassigned to the army command staff. It is not clear whether the defence ministry will take further action as a result of the colonel’s conviction.

(gsh/rk)

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