Army women reveal abuse as former minister admits ‘colossal failure’
Warning: This article contains material some readers may find distressing
Jane* served in the British Army for almost 20 years. It was a career she loved and excelled in, rising through the ranks. But then, she says, it ended when a colleague raped her.
She breaks down as she recalls the night out, almost six years ago.
Jane reported the attack to the Royal Military Police but days later was called into a meeting with officers in her chain of command and accused of flirting with men and drinking too much. Later, she discovered messages they had exchanged calling her a whore.
The military police investigated, but the case never made it to court martial, where military trials are heard – she was told there was an unrealistic chance of conviction.
Her case formed part of a legal process to try to force the previous government to transfer rape investigations in the armed forces to civilian courts, but the change was voted down in parliament.
Now, a high-profile former defence minister, and veteran, who failed to back the move has admitted he got it wrong.
Johnny Mercer has told Sky News that he, and other members of the previous government, must accept their part in the “colossal failure of leadership across all ranks” to deal with sexual abuse in the army.
Three female veterans have shared their stories with Sky News.
Jane* was called a ‘whore’ after she was raped by a colleague
A toxic culture where abuse is rife
When 19-year-old soldier Jaysley Beck took her own life in December 2021, hundreds of servicewomen shared their experiences on social media, describing a toxic culture where sexual abuse is not only rife but tolerated.
The inquest into Gunner Beck’s death last month found she had been sexually assaulted and then failed by the army when she reported it. This prompted the change of heart from Johnny Mercer.
“I should have argued harder for serious and sexual offences to be taken away from the MoD to civilian police,” he told Sky News. He has now called on the current government to act, saying “now is the time to make that change”.
Johnny Mercer has had a change of heart
Hayley* was a new recruit when she reported witnessing a female colleague being sexually assaulted by a senior officer.
She said at first “he didn’t say anything”. Then “he dragged me by the back of my coat, up the stairs to the office. I knew I couldn’t keep up, and I remember falling over my knees, like dragging on the floor”.
She continued: “He stood over me with his finger right in my face, screaming and swearing – like he was screaming so much he was spitting – and he was saying ‘don’t you dare speak about that ever again’.
“I remember thinking there’s girls who are at risk here, anything can happen to them and nobody cares.”
Months later, she was woken up by a male colleague climbing into her bed.
“He was trying to kiss my face and touch me,” she said, her voice trembling. “I was moving my head and saying: ‘you need to go’.”
Hayley* was dragged up the stairs after trying to report abuse
She reported it to the Royal Military Police.
“I remember them being so condescending.”
They asked her if she had been drinking, if she had locked her door and if she had encouraged him.
“It did eventually get dropped because there wasn’t enough evidence against him.”
‘I was left with bruising on my neck’
Michelle, who left the army in 2020 after 11 years that included active service in Afghanistan, said sexual harassment went on “all the time”.
“I’ve had my breasts grabbed by people…Guys when I’ve walked upstairs have looked up my skirt to see if I’m wearing underwear,” she said.
“Disgusting stuff like that”.
Michelle
Jane said her attacker was someone she knew.
“He was trying to kiss me, and I was pushing him away. He grabbed at my throat and was pushing me down on to this blow-up bed. And then he was trying to put his penis in my mouth,” she said.
“I had bruising to both my arms and also on my neck.
“It was the worst experience I’ve ever been through. I loved my career and never wanted to leave my job. I nearly lost everything, including my mental health. I wanted to end it all.”
The Royal Military Police investigated but the case did not go to court martial because, Jane was told, there was an unrealistic possibility of conviction.
Call to remove sexual offences from military court
Campaigners have been urging politicians for years to remove sexual offence cases from the military justice system.
“The conviction rate for cases that get to court martial for rapes and serious sexual assault is far lower than the equivalent figures in the Crown Court,” said Emma Norton, a lawyer who established the Centre for Military Justice.
“That, on the face of it, is a serious difference that is completely unjustifiable.”
In opposition, Labour backed the proposal to transfer serious and sexual offences out of military courts. Sky News asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) if it intends to make the legal change but it did not reply to the question.
A spokesperson for the MoD said: “There is no place for bullying, harassment or discrimination in the military. This government is totally committed to making the reforms that are needed to stamp out inappropriate behaviour and hold people to account.”
Their experiences have left many women conflicted about their time in the army.
“I had some of the best and also worst times of my life… that’s hard to reconcile,” said Hayley.
“I don’t want to look back and feel sorry for myself, but I feel the younger version of myself was severely let down by the people who were in authority at the time.
“It’s not acceptable for this to be happening.”
*Names have been changed
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
UK
Urgent letter to home secretary over violence against women and girls strategy – as it omits child abuse
Ten child protection organisations have written an urgent letter to the home secretary expressing concern about the omission of child sexual abuse from the government’s violence against women and girls strategy, following a Sky News report.
Groups including the NSPCC, Barnardo’s and The Children’s Society wrote to Yvette Cooper to say that violence against women and girls (VAWG) and child sexual abuse are “inherently and deeply connected”, suggesting any “serious strategy” to address VAWG needs to focus on child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The letter comes after Sky News revealed an internal Home Office document, titled Our draft definition of VAWG, which said that child sexual abuse and exploitation is not “explicitly within the scope” of their strategy, due to be published in September.
Poppy Eyre when she was four years old
Responding to Sky News’ original report, Poppy Eyre, who was sexually abused and raped by her grandfather when she was four, said: “VAWG is – violence against women and girls. If you take child sexual abuse out of it, where are the girls?”
The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, which is funded by the Home Office and a signatory to the letter, estimates 500,000 children in England and Wales are sexually abused every year.
The NSPCC “welcome” the government’s pledge to halve VAWG in a decade, but is “worried that if they are going to fulfil this commitment, the strategy absolutely has to include clear deliverable objectives to combat child sexual abuse and exploitation too”, the head of policy, Anna Edmundson, told Sky News.
Poppy is a survivor of child sexual abuse
She warned the government “will miss a golden opportunity” and the needs of thousands of girls will be “overlooked” if child sexual abuse and exploitation is not “at the heart of its flagship strategy”.
The government insists the VAWG programme will include action to tackle child sexual abuse, but says it also wants to create a distinctive plan to “ensure those crimes get the specialist response they demand”.
“My message to the government is that if you’re going to make child sexual abuse a separate thing, we need it now,” Poppy told Sky News.
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Rape Crisis, which is one of the largest organisations providing support to women in England and Wales, shares these concerns.
It wants plans to tackle child sexual abuse to be part of the strategy, and not to sit outside it.
“If a violence against women and girls strategy doesn’t include sexual violence towards girls, then it runs the risk of being a strategy for addressing some violence towards some females, but not all,” chief executive Ciara Bergman said.
A Home Office spokesperson said the government is “working tirelessly to tackle the appalling crimes of violence against women and girls and child sexual exploitation and abuse, as part of our Safer Streets mission”.
“We are already investing in new programmes and introducing landmark laws to overhaul the policing and criminal justice response to these crimes, as well as acting on the recommendations of Baroness Casey’s review into group-based Child Sexual Exploitation, and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse,” they added.
UK
Man and boy arrested on suspicion of arson after restaurant fire leaves two in critical condition
A 54-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a restaurant fire in east London on Friday.
Three people were taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition after the fire at the Indian Aroma in Ilford.
Two remained in a critical condition on Sunday morning, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The restaurant suffered extensive damage in the blaze.
Two further victims are thought to have left the scene before officers arrived, Scotland Yard said.
Woodford Avenue from above. Pic: UK News and Pictures
Police are still trying to identify them.
CCTV footage seen by the PA news agency appears to show a group of people wearing face coverings walk into the restaurant and pour liquid on the floor.
Seconds later, the inside of the restaurant is engulfed in flames.
“While we have made two arrests, our investigation continues at pace so we can piece together what happened on Friday evening,” said the Met Police’s DCI Mark Rogers.
“I know the community [is] concerned and shocked by this incident.
The moment the fire broke out.
“I would urge anyone with any information or concerns to come forward and speak to police.”
Hospital porter Edward Thawe went to help after hearing screams from his nearby home.
He described the scene as “horrible” and “more than scary and the sort of thing that you don’t want to look at twice.”
He said: “I heard screaming and people saying they had called the police.”
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The 43-year-old said he saw a woman and a severely burned man who may have been customers.
Another witness, who did not want to be named, said he saw three “severely burned” people being doused by the emergency services and given oxygen.
“I can only imagine the pain they were going through,” he said.
On Saturday, the London Ambulance Service told Sky News: “We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and paramedics from our hazardous area response team.
“We treated five people for burns and smoke inhalation. We took two patients to a major trauma centre and three others to local hospitals.”
The police investigation is continuing.
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