Amnesty launches inquiry into Deepcut deaths

Amnesty International, the organisation that investigates human rights abuses, is to carry out its own independent inquiry into the suspicious deaths of four teenage soldiers at Deepcut barracks.

The intervention will boost the case of families who refuse to accept the Army's findings that privates Geoff Gray, Sean Benton, James Collinson and Cheryl James committed suicide with their own rifles. All were found dead at the Surrey barracks between 1995 and 2002.

Amnesty is also expected to look at the treatment of all "child" soldiers – those under 18 – within the British armed forces. Two of the victims were 17 and another was 18. A spokesman said: "We will be looking at issues of bullying and sexual abuse."

Since 1994, nearly 100 members of the armed forces have been killed in "firearms incidents" and a further 156 have committed suicide. In 2000, 192 Army courts martial involved "violent crime" and 34 concerned "sexual crime".

More than 162 MPs are calling for a public inquiry into the Deepcut deaths and an investigation into bullying and abuse in the forces. The Ministry of Defence last week announced plans to tackle the bullying of recruits.