After showdown talks between Defence Secretary and the top generals, British Army officers and soldiers will be offered sexual consent training. This is part of plans to combat bullying and harassment.
The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, said there were ‘core and cultural issues’ in the Army which need to be addressed following a ‘full and frank’ meeting with Ben Wallace.
After a Tory MP Sarah Atherton’s report on the treatment of women within the Armed Forces, this meeting was the first to be called by Defence Secretary.
Former soldier Ms. Atherton discovered that more than two-thirds of female soldiers had suffered bullying, harassment, or discrimination during their time in the Army. And that 40% of the 993 respondents said they felt the system was extremely poor.
More than 22,000 women are currently in the Armed Forces.
After the killing of a Kenyan female sex worker, 2012, a British soldier is reportedly responsible and it was covered up. The UK Forces are now under increasing pressure.
An Army briefing paper stated that the Royal Military Police would conduct training in sexual consent for recruits at Sandhurst to help them start their careers “under no illusion of what’s unacceptable”.
Under plans to combat bullying and harassment, British Army officers and soldiers will be trained in sexual consent (stock photo).
Left: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace arrives in Downing Street, October 27, 2021. Right: General Mark Carleton Smith, Chief of General Staff on September 15, 2021
According to army sources, Gen Carleton Smith wants mandatory training for soldiers and officers.
In internal documents, which were cited by the newspaper, it was stated that the intention is to eradicate offense and to ‘educate about the complexities associated with consent.
Training will begin with sexual offenses and consent. This training is designed to help personnel understand consent and when it can be granted. The second will be about ‘indecent or extreme images’. It is focused on revenge porn as well as voyeurism.
Jonathan Codd, a captain in the Royal Military Police who delivers the training to military police instructors, said: ‘The army is committed to eradicating sexual offending. It is an inexcusable act.
“Anything we are able to do to change these behavior is positive and this is why we do it.”
Following the meeting, Gen Carleton Smith and Mr Wallace jointly stated that they had “a candid and open discussion on a variety of topics.”
High ranking generals met the Defense Secretary to discuss concerns about women’s treatment in and by British military forces
An investigation into bullying and harassment suffered by female soldiers revealed that nearly two-thirds of them had been subject to bullying, harassment and discrimination in their service with the Army.
The British Army’s leadership and officers are key to its success. The recent events highlight important issues which all of our citizens must address.
“We all agreed to work together on these cultural and core issues. The Army will soon unveil exciting plans to improve its structure and deploy it. The Army must be proud of what it’s done.
Wallace indicated that he would raise concerns about delays with the Ajax armored vehicle program prior to the meeting.
Only a dozen of 589 vehicles have been delivered, despite more than £3.2billion being spent already.
It comes as Ms Atherton’s report, made up of the findings of interviews with more than 4,000 servicewomen and female veterans, found six out of 10 women in the Armed Forces said they had not reported bullying, harassment or discrimination due to a lack of faith in the system.
Reports based on interviews with more that 4,000 female veterans were also used to compile the report.
The Kenyan police are reopening their probe into the killing of a young mother, who was last seen together with a British soldier at a military base nearby.
Prostitute Ms Wanjiru was reportedly seen partying with soldiers of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment the night before she disappeared.
The Sunday Times last month reported that a British soldier – named only as Soldier X – confessed to killing Ms Wanjiru and showed comrades where he dumped her body, and the crime was reported but dismissed by military officials.
Two months after her disappearance in March 2012, mother-of-one Agnes Wanjiru (21), was discovered in Nanyuki in a septic tank.
Prostitute Ms Wanjiru was rumored to have been drinking with soldiers of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment the night before she disappeared.
The Sunday Times published last month that a British soldier – identified as Soldier X – confessed killing Ms Wanjiru. Soldier X also showed his comrades the location where he dumped her remains. The incident was investigated but denied by military officers.
Last week James Heappey, the Armed Forces Minister arrived in Nanyuki. He promised Britain that it would not leave any stone unturned in his hunt to find the murderer of the young mother.
He made these comments in response to newspaper reports that Miss Wanjiru’s soldier had confessed that he had murdered her. The girl left behind was a 5-month-old child.
RMP are now investigating whether soldiers from the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment or Royal Army Medical Corps played a part in the assassination.