Legal News

Armed Forces staff have made more than 200 allegations of rape and sexual assault against colleagues in the last three years.

The number of rapes reported to the Military Police since 2011 totals 75 – and 150 sexual assaults have also been reported between 2011 and 2013.

The figures were obtained by The Sunday Times under the Freedom of Information Act – and include assaults against both serving personnel in the Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence (MoD) civil servants.

Incidents of rape number roughly 25 every year – while assault reports vary from 40 to 55 every year.

Figures for convictions by court martial show that 22 men were convicted of sexual assault and five were convicted of rape between October 2011 and November 2013.

In October 2011, Royal Military Police officer Corporal Anne-Marie Ellement, 30, was found hanged at Bulford Barracks in Salisbury, Wiltshire,

Cpl Ellement had reported having been raped by two male colleagues in Germany in November 2009. She was left devastated by the decision of MoD investigators not to prosecute the men involved, however.

The MoD has denied a “cover up” in Cpl Ellement’s case – a second inquest into Cpl Ellement’s death opened last week and was adjourned. The MoD claimed that 1,400 previously unseen files had been discovered and 29 of these would be relevant to the inquest.

MoD figures released in February show that one in 10 military personnel is bullied every year.

Labour MP Madeleine Moon – who is a member of the Commons Defence Select Committee – told The Sunday Times that “many more” sex attacks in the Armed Forces could be going unreported.

“Not enough is being done to make sure that people who join the Armed Forces are safe from abuse and attack by colleagues,” she said.

Some campaigners – including the campaign group Women Against Rape – are calling for allegations of rape and sexual assault in the Armed Forces to be investigated by the civilian police rather than the Military Police.

The MoD claims however that the number of sex crimes in the military is falling – and every allegation is investigated thoroughly.

MP Madeleine Moon said:

"As more and more women enter the military, we need to drive out old attitudes around bullying and sexual harassment.

“The trauma can be horrific – for too long it has been something you 'manned up' about. The attitude is, ‘Don't rock the boat’.”

“The military is one of the last closed institutions in this country that hasn't adapted to modern social values,” she added.

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – MoD Compensation Claims

Armed Forces personnel who are injured or subjected to bullying are usually compensated via the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

However, a claim in a civil court could also be made if military personnel or civil servants working for the MoD suffer abuse, assault or rape at the hands of colleagues.

Duncan Lewis is one of the UK’s leading personal injury solicitors and can advise Armed Forces personnel on how to make no win no fee Military Accident Claims – or no win no fee MoD Claims as a result of assault, rape or criminal injury.

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can also advise families on how to make a claim if a loved one serving in the Armed Forces has suffered catastrophic injury as a result of negligence – or Fatal Injuries as a result of negligence.

Duncan Lewis is one of the UK’s leading providers of Legal Aid Services and can advise on options for funding claims in the civil courts, including conditional fee arrangements (“no win no fee”).

For expert legal advice on Military Accident Claims and MoD Claims contact Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.