Burnley veteran launches campaign to help tackle sexual abuse in the Army
A Burnley veteran has launched a campaign following the suicide of a soldier who was sexually assaulted.
Kelly Broomfield says sexual abuse was "rife" in the British Armed Forces when she joined up in the 90s at age 16. She recalls being shocked to learn that, after 14 years since leaving, victims can still fall through the cracks, following the suicide of Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck at age 19 in 2021 in Wiltshire. Jaysley’s inquest earlier this year found the Army's failure to take action after she was sexually assaulted by a senior sergeant contributed to her death. It also revealed she was sexually harassed by her boss. Kelly, now 44, has since launched a petition calling for more action. Reflecting on her own experiences of being sexually harassed as a minor by more senior officers, she said: "They'd take us off on our own and say if we didn't sleep with them, we'd end our careers. We were 16-years-old. I did 15 years in the army and had some form of unwanted attention in many of the units I served in. It was rife, but in the majority of cases, it was swept under the carpet. Young girls were branded trouble-makers and ostracised by their peers and the people they worked with. I didn't always feel safe because I lived in the barracks, and [the offenders] were where I lived." The UK Armed Forces have a separate justice system dealing with service-specific offences, like disobeying lawful commands or being absent without leave. Kelly says that during her time as a soldier, sexual abuse victims were put before a small panel of high-ranking military personnel, without a jury. She added that the Army tended to protect high-ranking officers while higher-ups often dissuaded victims from making reports to the civilian police.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “Unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our Armed Forces. The Defence Serious Crime Command assures all Serving personnel that any reporting of a serious crime will be investigated independently from their chain of command and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“We are fully committed to supporting the Government’s agenda for tackling violence against women and girls and will be focusing on how best we can drive initiatives in this area. [Minister for Defence People and Veterans Al Carns] announced on 18th March that he would be establishing a Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, which will coordinate and drive cultural change from the heart of the Department.”
A report last month by Action on Armed Violence, a charity that helps protect civilians during conflict, found problems in the Army with lenient sentencing and a 17% drop in military police staffing over the past decade. It also revealed a "culture of secrecy and loyalty within the ranks [that] discourages reporting and obstructs justice," that military boards are perceived as biased, particularly in sexual offence cases, and that high-ranking personnel rarely face prosecution. In 2023/24, 47% of all charges were downgraded to disciplinary offences, and 18% were dropped due to insufficient evidence. Of those dropped, 53% involved sexual offences. The charity recommends transferring serious offences like rape to civilian courts, enhancing military police training, ensuring independence in investigations, and holding senior officers accountable.
In February, The Times reported that more than 1,000 female soldiers had posted on Fill Your Boots on X to share their experiences of sexual misconduct. Kelly launched her petition that same month, and nearly 30,000 people have signed it. She fears predators who are not held accountable by the Army pose a risk to the wider public when they leave, adding: "If they don't get convicted, they can pass DBS checks. They get whitewashed. I want those people and the chains of command to be held accountable.” The veteran worries mobile phones could make it harder for victims to escape sexual harassment today, with Jaysley's inquest revealing her boss had sent her 3,600 messages in a month. Ultimately, Kelly fears that, without urgent action, "there will be more suicides, more mental health problems, more victims who are not believed or listened to," adding: "Something needs to change."
How does the Ministry of Defence tackle sexual abuse?
- Initiated Unacceptable Sexual Behaviours training.
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Provides independent advice for victims and witnesses of serious crimes via the Victim and Witness Care Unit, established in 2023.
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Ensures female representation is on all court martial boards.
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Introducing a Tri-Service complaints unit - outside of the single Service chain of command - for the most serious complaints around bullying and harassment.
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Introducing an independent Armed Forces Commissioner - a point of contact for Serving personnel – who will report to Parliament on welfare matters in service life.
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If a Commanding Officer (CO) becomes aware of an allegation or circumstances of a sexual offence, they must “as soon as is reasonably practicable” report it to a service police force or the Defence Serious Crime Unit. If the CO does not, they could be investigated for “failing to perform a duty”.
What does Kelly call for?
1. All personnel to receive annual training around rape, serious sexual offences and domestic abuse to help promote crime reporting without the fear of retaliation. 2. Disciplinary action for a person in the chain of command who does not report an allegation made to them. 3. The Army to monitor rape, serious sexual offences and domestic violence that occur during an overseas posting/tour so that each perpetrator faces the same accountability in the UK and abroad. 4. The Government to debate the introduction of a non-military jury system in sexual abuse cases in the Army. 5. That convictions in a military court are reported with "100% transparency" to the civilian police to update DBS and Clare's Law records.
Victims of crime, from any location, can report it to the Civilian Police, Service Police or via the Service Police confidential crime line, 0800 085 0658.