The hundreds of allegations of sexual assault, harassment, humiliation and rape that flooded the Fill Your Boots Facebook page last month would have come as scant surprise to many of the Servicewomen reading them.
Last year’s Armed Forces continuous attitude survey found that 13 per cent of women had been subject to sexual harassment in the previous 12 months alone. So it is hardly a stretch to imagine that, over the course of her career, the average Servicewoman would have encountered some sort of mistreatment.
This is borne out by last month’s outpouring of testimonies, which came as the inquest of Gnr Jaysley Beck (RA) – who took her own life in 2021 after relentless harassment and a sexual assault – hit the headlines.
And it has raised the question of whether decent people – both soldiers and their leaders – are doing enough to call out mistreatment of women and men at the lowest level.
Among the wave of anonymous accounts from Regulars and Reservists, were tales of soldiers being pinned against walls, groped, humiliated and having their bedrooms broken into during the night.
In one shameful incident, an ex-Servicewoman claimed to have been poked in the vagina with a fork in a cookhouse in view of several other male colleagues who watched on.
The experiences lay bare how some leaders are continuing to fail the women under their command.
This was underscored in a letter sent to all commanding officers by Chief of the General Staff, Gen Sir Roly Walker, who said he had been left “disgusted” by the many allegations of “appalling and shameful” behaviour in the ranks.
He urged COs to step up and play their part as leaders – “visibly and confidently” – in order to stop this behaviour.
Alfie Usher (ex-Para), who runs the Fill Your Boots (FYB) social media account and who has acknowledged the role this platform once played in humiliating women, told Soldier he had been left shocked by the scale of the allegations that flooded his inbox (see overleaf).
In many of the stories he reposted, leaders appeared to have prioritised protecting the perpetrator’s career over seeking justice, with referrals to mental health services or discussions about “banter” often the result.
One victim commented: “Sometimes it’s not the perpetrators who cause the most damage, but the people who victims think will have their back and let them down.”
The revelations, which have been likened to the Me Too movement in the civilian world, triggered a range of high-profile responses on FYB, including defence chiefs and the Provost Marshal, responsible for serious crime investigation in the MoD.
The latter thanked victims for speaking and reminded personnel that anyone wishing to report an incident would be treated with respect, and any follow-up actions based on their wishes.
The Defence Serious Crime Command can be contacted 24/7 by anyone (Service or civilian) who has been the victim or witness of serious crime at any point in their service.
Contact them via the Service Police Crime Bureau on 02392 285 170.
Crimestoppers can also be reached on 0800 555 111 or complaints reported directly to the civilian police.
There is no need for any soldier to speak directly to their chain of command to report an allegation.
Posting after Gnr Beck’s inquest, which ruled that Army failure to take action over her mistreatment had contributed to her death, and for which the Service sincerely apologised, her family said: “The only comfort we have now is knowing that hundreds of people in the military have come forward, sharing their own experiences and seeking support.
“No one should have to suffer in silence.
“There are independent sources of help available, and we urge anyone affected to reach out. You are not alone.”
Commentators said male bystanders must do more to call out humiliation of women in everyday life.
One Facebook user, Dave Rowbottom (ex-RE), said: “Gents, we all need to do better.
“We need to speak up when we see things that aren’t right and educate ourselves about what is and isn’t acceptable.”
He quoted stand-up comedian Daniel Sloss, whose live show X went viral after he talked about discovering that his friend was a rapist and feeling guilty he hadn’t confronted the individual’s attitudes sooner.
“There are monsters among us and they look like us,” he said, addressing men.
“Were there signs in my friend’s behaviour over the years towards women that I ignored? The answer is yes – and then he raped my friend.
“That’s on me ‘til the day I die. Talk to your boys.”
The Army already tries to equip soldiers to do this with something known as “active bystander training” (see more overleaf).
Introduced in 2019 after a report into inappropriate behaviours in the MoD, its lessons are used by COs as part of the annual “behaviours” individual training requirement (ITR).
One point the training gets across is the idea of “diffused responsibility”, which means the more people that witness a situation, the less likely it is anyone will call it out.
When we are part of a large group, we often wrongly assume others will take care of things.
But personnel can also feel intimidated or embarrassed about tackling bad behaviour. However, there are tools to help with this.
But with this and other initiatives such as Teamwork days and zero tolerance of sexual misconduct in place for some years now – and mistreatment of female troops persisting – the Army’s top brass will no doubt be doing some serious soul-searching.
Sarah Atherton, whose 2021 report into women in the Armed Forces laid bare the scale of the problem, said defence continued to refuse to confront its “toxic leadership, systemic misogyny” and “a chain of command that prioritises reputation over justice”.
She added: “Women in uniform are tough, capable, and willing to serve their country – but they deserve better.
“Until military culture is fundamentally reformed, cases like Gnr Beck’s will keep happening. And that is a national disgrace.”
If military culture is to really be improved, however, the spotlight must surely also fall on individuals as well as their leaders.
“Jaysley was exactly the kind of person the Army needs,” a Service statement said. “She was excelling at her job.
“Her friends described her as someone who was kind, funny and always putting others before herself.”
Loyalty is an Army value that British soldiers live and die by. Put simply, it’s about looking after your teammates and never letting them down – even in tough circumstances.
According to Army Servicewomen’s Network co-chair WO1 Hayley Cornforth (AGC (SPS)), anyone unable to fully support female colleagues in the face of this problem should ask themselves serious questions.
“How would they feel if it was their sister, mother, brother or themselves affected?” she adds.
Finding the moral courage to do the right thing and speak out when women are mistreated, it seems, could spell the difference between another tragedy and the start of a new era for the Army. One that supports women in deeds, as well as words.
If you would like to share your story with Soldier – anonymously or otherwise – email [email protected]
You can find more details of how to report incidents or crimes – or find support – in our Directory.
If you think behaviour towards a woman is unacceptable, others probably will too. So if you intervene first, you are likely be backed up. There are lots of different ways to do this. Try one of the 4Ds next time you need to have a word…
Be DIRECT and keep it concise. Try saying “what you say really bothers me” or asking them how they’d feel if someone said this to a member of their family
DISTRACT by changing the subject and trying to stop the behaviour. Ask loudly if anyone wants a brew.
DELEGATE to someone else if you don’t feel confident enough to intervene. You could ask someone, “are you mates with Anna, can you ask her if she’s okay?”
DELAY and take action at a later date instead. You could ask, “are you okay – I was a little uncomfortable with what happened last night”. Ask them if there is anything you can do to support, or signpost them to resources to make a report.
Info taken from Army active bystander training material
In our next issue we talk to Army leaders about the measures that have been implemented, and will soon be introduced, to address unacceptable behaviours in the Service.
