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More than a dozen women came forward to report a staff sergeant in the Royal Military Police (RMP) for sexual abuse, but he was allowed to resign from the army instead of face charges.

Warning: This article contains material some readers may find distressing

That’s the claim of a whistleblower who served as a sergeant in the RMP for over a decade and says she was one of the man’s victims.

Amy, not her real name, says a “toxic” culture in the military police means sexual predators in the army are “getting away with stuff that they shouldn’t be getting away with”.

It’s a rare insight into life inside the Royal Military Police, the corps charged with investigating crime in the army.

Amy described how the man who assaulted her would go into women’s rooms and sit on their beds. She says he used to force her to go out driving with him at night and talk about sex.

“He preyed on the young, new females that were in the unit,” she says.

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“One day, I was out with my friends in town and he was on patrol… There were two of us that went over to speak to him and I had quite a low-cut top on.

“So he hooked his finger around my top and pulled my boob out”.

GRAPHIC

She recalls as she tried to stop him, “he grabbed my hand and put it on his penis”.

She claims there are other men in the RMP who’ve been accused of sexual offences, recalling hearing of five separate allegations of rape against male colleagues by female colleagues.

“If all of this sexual assault and bullying and rapes are going on within the military police, how can they then go out and investigate the wider army for doing the same things?” she says.

“It doesn’t work.”

Amy, a former RMP officer who alleges sexual abuse in the armed forces
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Amy, a former RMP officer who alleges sexual abuse in the armed forces

‘He got away with it’

Looking back on her career in the army is difficult for Amy.

After leaving, she tried to settle back into life as a civilian with a new job and a young family to look after, but says she worried about bumping into former colleagues in the street.

“It’s taken me a long time to heal,” she says.

“I was very bitter towards my military career when I left, but I’ve had to sort of learn, build myself up again and remember the good times because they were really good times as well… I think it was just so bad at points.”

When she joined the RMP, she believed she would be part of a unit “representing how the rest of the soldiers should be conducting themselves”.

The reality, she says, was that she had become part of “one of the most toxic” corps in the army.

She recalls being told that the staff sergeant she had reported for sexual assault would be allowed to resign.

“They basically told me he’s not going to be charged, but will be leaving the military… doing him a favour,” she says.

“He got away with it all,” she adds. “He’s not going to lose his pension and whatever else he would have lost with a dishonourable discharge.

“He’s left without a criminal record… that’s not safe for civilians as well, because it’s not even on his record.”

‘They investigate themselves’

Earlier this year, an inquest into the suicide of 19-year-old Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck found she had been failed by the army after reporting sexual assault and harassment.

Since then, Sky News has reported claims of widespread abuse and growing calls for investigations into sexual offences to be removed from the RMP and instead carried out by civilian police.

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From March: Army women reveal alleged abuse

The Labour chair of the influential House of Commons Defence Committee is now urging the government to act.

Tan Dhesi told Sky News: “The system needs to change… incidents of sexual violence and sexual assault should be dealt with not by the Royal Military Police but by civilian police and civilian courts.

“I hope that the government will be making that substantial change in the very, very near future; in fact, they should do it ASAP.”

Tan Dhesi MP, Labour chair of the influential House of Commons Defence Committee
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Tan Dhesi MP told Sky News that ‘the system needs to change… ASAP’

Since Gunner Beck’s death, a new tri-service complaints team has been announced by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The change will see bullying, harassment, discrimination related service complaints dealt with by a team outside the commands of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.

However, Amy believes investigations need to be done “completely separately from the military”.

“Otherwise it doesn’t work because friends will be investigating friends,” she says.

“I think there’s such a male-dominated space in the military still. Women have no chance… and it’s not fair because people are getting away with stuff that they shouldn’t be getting away with and allowed to continue doing it and ruining lives.”

She believes the entire system lacks accountability. “They investigate themselves,” she says, even down to how the RMP is regulated.

“The people that run that unit are RMP. They get posted in, do a few years and then get posted back out.”

GRAPHIC

‘I was told off for reporting it’

Katie, also not her real name, served in the army for over 20 years. She saw active service in Afghanistan and rose to the rank of Captain.

It was a distinguished career that was brought to a premature end by sexual abuse and whistleblowing.

Having taken the difficult decision to leave the army she now leads a secluded life and suffers poor mental health.

Katie (centre), who resigned from the armed forces after alleged sexual abuse, as a serving RMP officer
Image:
Katie (centre), who resigned from the armed forces after alleged sexual abuse, as a serving RMP officer

“I still struggle,” she says. “I’m still very wary of men. My relationship is strained.

“Everything seems like black and white now, like I live my life in black and white rather than full colour… As a person, it has changed my life forever.”

To begin with, she was in the same unit that Gunner Beck would join years later. She too experienced harassment and abuse, and says her line manager “laughed” when she reported it.

“I just felt like dehumanised, I felt like property, I didn’t feel like a person anymore,” she says.

Army abuse still

“And so I would avoid people… I would hide in the garages, behind the tanks, in between the guns, just praying that these people hadn’t seen me and I might be able to escape them for that day.”

She moved to a different unit but says wherever she went, abuse was rife. After being groped by a higher-ranking colleague, she assumed her chain of command would escalate her report to the RMP.

Instead, she says she was “put in front of the Sergeant Major and told off”.

“I remember at the time saying I’d like to call the civilian police, and I was told that I wasn’t allowed to do that and I’d be disciplined if I tried to do that,” she said. “So I was so frightened.”

She stayed in the army, hoping to make a difference. As an officer, she began reporting abusers on behalf of younger victims.

“I kept this goal in my head of reaching a position one day where I could help other women,” she said. “When I got there, I realised that it was way more toxic than I could have ever imagined.

“The officer corps were actually the worst perpetrators of all because they brushed it under the carpet. There was a will and a need more to protect themselves or their friends. Or the reputation of the unit first and foremost.”

She believes changes made by the MoD since the death of Gunner Beck to remove the chain of command from sexual abuse investigations will make “little difference”, saying they’ll still be carried out by “the same people, but just under a new title”.

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‘They should be held accountable’

An MoD spokesperson told Sky News that “unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our Armed Forces”.

They added: “That is why this government is creating a new Tri-Service Complaints team to take the most serious complaints out of the chain of single service command for the first time, and has launched a new central taskforce on Violence Against Women and Girls to give this issue the attention it deserves.

“We are also establishing an independent Armed Forces Commissioner with the power to visit defence sites unannounced, and to investigate and report to parliament any welfare matters affecting service life.”

Amy believes the RMP is not fit for purpose.

“They have higher standards to uphold, yet they don’t uphold them within their own regiment, within their own lives, and then they’re expected to police and uphold those standards throughout the rest of the army,” she says.

“At the end of the day, they know the law and they should be held accountable for what they do.”

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

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Man, 76, arrested on suspicion of administering poison at summer camp after eight children taken to hospital

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Man, 76, arrested on suspicion of administering poison at summer camp after eight children taken to hospital

A 76-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of administering poison at a summer camp which led to eight children being taken to hospital, police said.

Police received reports of children feeling unwell at a summer camp in Canal Lane, Stathern, Leicestershire, on Monday.

Paramedics assessed eight children, who were taken to hospital as a precaution and have all now been discharged.

The suspect was arrested at the camp and remains in custody on suspicion of administering poison with intent to injure/aggrieve/annoy.

Detective Inspector Neil Holden said: “We understand the concern this incident will have caused to parents, guardians and the surrounding community.

“We are in contact with the parents and guardians of all children concerned.

“Please be reassured that we have several dedicated resources deployed and are working with partner agencies including children’s services to ensure full safeguarding is provided to the children involved.

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“We also remain at the scene to carry out enquiries into the circumstances of what has happened and to continue to provide advice and support in the area.

“This is a complex and sensitive investigation and we will continue to provide updates to both parents and guardians and the public as and when we can.”

The force said it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over what it said was the “circumstances of the initial police response”.

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‘No evidence’ malign activity caused Wednesday’s air traffic disruption, says transport secretary

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'No evidence' malign activity caused Wednesday's air traffic disruption, says transport secretary

There is no evidence that malign activity was responsible for yesterday’s outage of air traffic control systems, the transport secretary has said.

Heidi Alexander said she has spoken with the chief executive of National Air Traffic Service (NATS), Martin Rolfe, and added that what happened was an isolated incident.

NATS has apologised for the IT problems after thousands of passengers suffered extensive travel disruption during one of the busiest times of the year.

The technical glitch led to more than 150 flight cancellations, leaving airlines reacting furiously.

alexander
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Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander

Ms Alexander wrote on X: “I have spoken with NATS CEO Martin Rolfe who provided further detail on yesterday’s technical fault.

“This was an isolated event and there is no evidence of malign activity.

“I know that any disruption is frustrating for passengers.

“Flights are now resumed and I am grateful to airlines who are working hard to get people to where they need to be.

“I will continue to receive regular updates. Passengers should check with airlines before travelling.”

Read more: Flight delayed or cancelled? These are your rights

Officials said a “radar-related issue” caused the air traffic control failure.

A spokesperson for NATS said: “This was a radar-related issue which was resolved by quickly switching to the back-up system during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety.

“There is no evidence that this was cyber related.”

The problem occurred at NATS’ control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, and affected the vast majority of England and Wales.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said 84 departures and 71 arrivals were cancelled to or from UK airports up to 10pm on Wednesday, with several flights diverted to other European airports.

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Travel expert Paul Charles: This is a major outage

There was limited disruption on Thursday, with a handful of British Airways flights cancelled because aircraft and crew were out of position.

Heathrow and Gatwick airports said they had resumed normal operations.

Affected passengers are unlikely to be entitled to compensation as the disruption was outside of airlines’ control, but they will be able to claim expenses for a reasonable amount of food and drink, a means to communicate and overnight accommodation if required.

Martin Rolfe in 2023. Pic: PA
Image:
Martin Rolfe in 2023. Pic: PA

Ryanair has called on Mr Rolfe to resign, claiming “no lessons have been learnt” since a similar systems outage in August 2023.

The airline’s chief operating officer Neal McMahon said: “It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe’s continued mismanagement of Nats.”

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‘No lessons have been learned’: Airlines furious after another technical glitch cancels flights

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'No lessons have been learned': Airlines furious after another technical glitch cancels flights

Airlines have reacted furiously after a technical glitch in air traffic control systems led to more than 150 flight cancellations.

The National Air Traffic Service (NATS) has apologised for the IT problems – and said systems were back up and running 20 minutes after the “radar-related issue” was detected at 4.05pm.

But with thousands of passengers suffering extensive travel disruption, during one of the busiest times of the year, airline executives have warned this isn’t good enough.

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Departures resume after ATC problem

Ryanair’s chief operating officer Neal McMahon has called for NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign – and claimed Wednesday’s incident was “utterly unacceptable”.

He said: “It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe’s continued mismanagement of NATS.

“It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the August 2023 NATS system outage, and passengers continue to suffer as a result of Martin Rolfe’s incompetence.”

Mr McMahon was referring to a glitch that affected more than 700,000 passengers two years ago – and said that, if Mr Rolfe refuses to step down, the government should intervene.

“Heidi Alexander must act without delay to remove Martin Rolfe and deliver urgent reform of NATS’ shambolic ATC service, so that airlines and passengers are no longer forced to endure these preventable delays caused by persistent NATS failures,” he added.

The Department for Transport says Ms Alexander does not have any direct control over NATS – and no powers over staffing decisions at the service.

Martin Rolfe in 2023. Pic: PA
Image:
Martin Rolfe in 2023. Pic: PA

EasyJet’s chief operating officer David Morgan added: “It’s extremely disappointing to see an ATC failure once again causing disruption to our customers at this busy and important time of year for travel.

“While our priority today is supporting our customers, we will want to understand from NATS what steps they are taking to ensure issues don’t continue.”

NATS is yet to comment on the calls for Mr Rolfe’s resignation – but has stressed that the glitch is not believed to be “cyber related”.

“This was a radar-related issue which was resolved by quickly switching to the back-up system during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety,” a spokesperson had said.

Departures at airports across the country have now resumed – but passengers are being urged to check with their airline before heading to terminals.

Read more from Sky News:
Ozzy Osbourne gets final tour of Birmingham
US Federal Reserve defies calls to cut interest rates

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Travel expert: This is a major outage

John Carr, from Stourbridge, was on his way from Heathrow to Norway to help arrange his brother’s wedding when he discovered his flight was cancelled after checking in.

“I’m pretty gutted,” he said. “We’ve got loads of stuff in the suitcases to set up the venue, because we’re obviously flying to Norway. We’ve got the wedding rehearsal to do. It’s quite stressful.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for an urgent investigation and also referred to the “utterly unacceptable” disruption two years earlier.

“With thousands of families preparing to go on a well-earned break, this just isn’t good enough. The public deserve to have full confidence in such a vital piece of national infrastructure.”

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Flights departing or arriving at a UK airport, or aircraft operated by a UK airline arriving in the EU, are subject to rules concerning delays or cancellations.

Airlines may have to provide compensation, although there are exemptions for “extraordinary circumstances”, according to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority.

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