The Ministry of Defence announced that a new tri-service specialist team would handle the most serious complaints of bullying and discrimination in the Armed Forces, regardless of whether they are from the Army, Air Force or Navy.
The “fundamental changes” to the Armed Forces complaint processes will eliminate unacceptable behaviours and improve support for females in defence. These changes come in response to the suicide in 2021 of Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, who had been sexually abused and harassed months before she died.
The British Army’s top general, Sir Roly Walke, has condemned the “appalling behaviour” of its officers, after over 1,000 women told their stories of sexual abuse and harassment.
The new team is designed to give individuals greater confidence, as well as ensure that serious complaints are handled quickly, fairly, and in a uniformed way throughout the Armed Forces. It builds on the tri service approach taken by the Defence Serious Crime Command in 2022, when it was established.
Alistair Carns said, “I personally commit to doing everything in my power to eradicate unacceptable behaviour, and to ensure that the Armed Forces are a place where all can thrive.”
“Women who serve in the military play an important role in maintaining our nation’s safety. It is more than just a question of justice and equality. It is vital to the military’s effectiveness.
“Our people spoke, and we listened. We are working quickly to establish a tri-service complaint team that will take the most serious issues out of the single service command chain for the first ever and launch a central taskforce in order to give the issue the attention it deserves.
‘Cautious optimism’
The news that a specialist tri-service complaint team would be formed was welcomed by campaigners with “cautious optimistic”.
Emma Norton, the founder and leading lawyer for the Centre for Military Justice said “something appears to have changed” since the Army’s stubborn stance last month during Beck’s Inquest that there would not be any substantial changes made to the system for dealing with serious complaints of sexual misconduct and other forms discrimination.
She said, “Clearly we need more details.” How far will the new complaint processes be from the old single service? Will the same staff be reassigned just to deal with them? What kind of new training will be provided? Will they use independent experts when needed? It would not be more sensible to have the new Armed Forces commissioner perform this role? This would give the scheme even more independence.
The fact that the option was not taken is of great concern. One wonders what pressures were placed on the ministers to not take this obvious solution.
Leighann McCready said, “We are happy with the progress made, but we also know that there is more work to be done.” It is important to know how it will actually work. Not only is it important to remove cases from the command chain and single service, but also that the people handling these cases are independent, well-trained, and dedicated to accountability. Without transparency and oversight there will be no change in the trust that people have for the system.
“Our daughter Jaysley suffered sexual harassment in the army. Maybe she’d still be alive if a system such as this existed and she could have turned to someone truly independent. We will never know, but we know that no family should ever have to go through this type of loss.
If today’s changes can prevent even one tragedy, we have made progress. We will continue to work for a system which fully protects all those who serve, and makes sure that no one feels unheard, unsupported or alone.
Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce
The MoD is also establishing a Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce led by Carns, to “cohere and lead the work to change the culture from the center of the department”.
The “Defence Voices Panel” is a group of service personnel and civil employees who are willing to share their honest feedback and experiences.
Carns, along with the chiefs of the Armed Forces, will present these new measures to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee today.
The VAWG Taskforce, which includes healthcare providers, social workers and HR advisers, will provide training on domestic violence, sexual offenses, and other topics.
In November, the government introduced the Armed Forces Commission Bill to create an independent champion who would serve personnel and their family members. The bill is currently in Committee Stage at the House of Lords.
The commissioner will be named by the end the year and be the direct contact point for service personnel, their families, to discuss issues that impact the life of the Armed Forces. The commissioner will be able to visit unannounced defence sites and order reports. They can hold services accountable and drive improvements in service life.
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