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A TEENAGE soldier is pinned to a bed with his trousers pulled down – as comrades ­torture him for ­refusing to go out drinking.

These distressing images – printed with the permission of the victim – today expose an alleged culture of brutal bullying inside one of Britain’s most decorated regiments.

Taken at the German headquarters of the famous Rifles infantry division, they show the recruit – fresh out of basic training – being stripped half naked, tied up and subjected to humiliating physical abuse by soldiers in the same unit.

His hands and feet are bound together with tape as four soldiers pin him to the floor.

In one image, an attacker is shown targeting his genitals. In another, he is held face-down as he desperately tries to protect his bare backside with his bound hands.

The victim, 18, whose identity we are ­protecting, has returned to the UK after going absent without leave and faces time in a military jail.

He said of the abuse he has suffered: “You learn to take it. If you complain, it just gets worse, so you keep your mouth shut.”

Now desperate to leave the Army after joining two years ago aged 16, he says his dream of ­serving his country has turned into a nightmare.

But he feels unable to overcome the complex legal obstacles involved in terminating the four-year contract he signed.

Instead he must return to Germany where he faces imprisonment for going AWOL. He is likely to have to rejoin his unit for a five-month tour of Afghanistan, where the Rifles regiment has served with distinction, losing more than 60 soldiers since the war began. It is claimed that officers are aware of bullying but routinely ignore it.

Recalling the attack, which happened in March, the teenager said: “They wanted me to go out with them for a few drinks but I didn’t want to go. They were all Riflemen, the same rank as me. There were no Corporals or Lance Corporals around. I sensed something was coming.” He said he felt he had no choice but to “take a beating”.

“Three of them came charging into my room,” he said. “They stripped me and tied me up with sniper tape then they wrapped a load of it around my head. They dragged me out into the ­corridor. A few people took a load of pictures and they left me lying there while they all went ­outside for a cigarette. I managed to get free.

“It all lasted about 10 minutes. If it was to happen in civvy street, all those lads in that picture would be arrested. But it’s a normal day in the Army.”

Days after the incident, photos of it were posted on a soldier’s Facebook profile. They were seen by officers from the Royal Military Police and an investigation was launched. But when he was questioned, the victim said nothing because he feared reprisals.

“One of the lads was arrested and I was taken into a senior NCO’s office,” he says. “Before he started to ask me about it, I told him I knew why I was there but that there was ­nothing in it and I wasn’t pressing any charges. Straight away, he said, ‘OK. Let’s leave it at that then’.”

A few days later, the victim’s fiancee back in the UK saw the photographs on Facebook.

“She was really worried about me,” he said. “I told her it was just banter and that I was fine. You need some kind of level of banter because of the job we have to do. It helps keep you sane. But sometimes that line does get crossed.”

He recalled a serious incident during his basic training when he was just 16. “The week I joined up, at Harrogate Army Foundation College, a lad was pinned down and they did something to him with a vacuum cleaner pipe,” he said.

He also revealed how daily life at 5 Rifles’ base near the German town of Paderborn often features fist fights between soldiers to “sort out issues”.

“If blokes have a problem with each other, they are allowed to fight it out,” he says. “The officers turn a blind eye. It’s crazy.”

A few months after he was attacked, the victim went AWOL and returned home to his family. He said he has told officers where he is and intends to return to the base to face his punishment.

“I knew what I was doing by going AWOL,” he said. “I knew it was serious. I know I’ve got to go back and I know I will be punished. I’ll either spend a bit of time in jail or have some ­punishment on the base like weeks of cleaning.”

On his return, he will prepare to leave for ­Afghanistan where British troops are at ­increasing risk from Taliban attacks as the deadline for our withdrawal next year draws nearer.

“It’s bad out there at the moment and it’s only going to get worse,” he said. “But it’s what I joined up for so I’m not scared. I’ll have to work really closely with the guys in the photographs.

“But even if there was a lad in my platoon who I hated, if you’re in Afghanistan and something happens, you’re definitely going to run through bullets to save him. That’s just the way it is.”

Although willing to fight for his country, he says he will focus on getting out of the Army.

“I’ve signed for four years so I’ve got to do four years. It’s a myth that you can buy yourself out. You have to go through courts.”

Once he has served for three years, he can give notice that he wants to leave. It is likely that he would then be discharged in a couple of months.

We have given the MoD the full details of the abuse and urged them to investigate.

An MoD spokesman said: “The Armed Forces have a zero tolerance approach to abuse, bullying, and discrimination. All allegations will be ­investigated and, where appropriate, action will be taken. We have taken a number of steps to improve training and awareness concerning harassment and bullying.”