Four sailors accused of helping 16-year-old Irish girl stow away on a Navy destroyer will be court-martialed on charges of harboring an alien and conspiracy, a Navy spokesman said Friday.
Four other sailors accused of helping the girl, Suzanne Twomey, hide aboard the USS Conyngham last month face punishment under less severe naval administrative action, the spokesman said.The four are charged with hiding the girl aboard the destroyer for 10 days as it sailed from Ireland to the United States in July. She was discovered aboard the Conyngham July 22 while the ship was still at sea.
Two of the sailors charged in the case have remained in the brig since their arrest July 25, the day the vessel arrived in port at Norfolk. Other sailors initially held have been released and allowed to return to the ship.