Army policy was breached, coroner at inquest into Jaysley Beck's death concludes
Nineteen-year-old soldier Jaysley Beck, who was found hanged in her room, was sexually assaulted by a colleague and how this was handled "played more than a minimal contributory part in her death", a coroner has concluded.
The Salisbury inquest heard how Gunner Beck, who served in the Royal Artillery, died at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021.
In July that year she complained that she had been sexually assaulted by a senior colleague during a stay at Thorney Island.
Then-Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber was given a "minor sanction" for his actions.
Summing up the inquest for Gnr Beck, Nicholas Rheinberg, the assistant coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, said: "She was sufficiently terrified to flee the scene, hide in the toilets, take refuge in the car and remain on the phone [to a colleague].
"How Jaysley's complaint was handled played more than a contributory part in her death."
He said Gnr Beck's complaint about the Thorney Island incident should have been reported to the police – and the failure to do so breached Army policy.
Mr Rheinberg said: "I find on the balance of probabilities that the complaint should not have been dealt with by minor administrative action.
"By following this route it breached Army policy as it was a sexual assault carried out on a 19-year-old Gunner by a middle-aged man of senior rank and was recorded merely as inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a warrant officer."
The inquest had previously heard from Brigadier Melissa Emmett, the head of the Army Personnel Support Group, who said the force formally accepted failures were made.
Brig Emmett said: "We let her down in so many ways for which we have already apologised, and if I can apologise again, for what it's worth, I would do."
Mr Rheinberg also spoke about Gnr Beck's supervisor, then-Bombardier Ryan Mason, who sent 1,000 messages to her in October 2021 and 3,600 in November.
He said: "It's difficult to imagine the extent of the adverse effect that this must have had on Jaysley, a very young woman with problems of her own.
"Jaysley described the Bombardier's conduct as creepy and ultimately as frightening.
"Rightly or wrongly she felt he was tracking her by her phone. The Bombardier denied this and I find it unlikely."
The coroner also said he found it difficult to believe that Mr Mason, who since left the Army, had not been manipulating Gnr Beck by demanding her support for his mental health by telling her of his thoughts of self-harm and suicide.
The Army said Mr Mason's actions amounted to "unwelcome sexual attention" and "harassment", the coroner said.
Mr Rheinberg said there was an arguable case that the Army had breached Gnr Beck's Article 2 right to life under the Human Rights Act.
He said this was from the failure of superior officers failing to take action over the huge number of messages sent by Mr Mason and the failure to fully investigate Gnr Beck's complaint of sexual assault against WO2 Webber.
Mr Rheinberg said: "I find there is an arguable case for saying in relation to Jaysley the state breached her Article 2 right to life.
"[This was] by way of the state failure to put in place a framework of laws, policies, procedures and means of enforcement which will, to the greatest extent, protect life.
"The failure to report was a systemic failure, the system was insufficiently robust."
He said the factors which contributed to her death were:
- Failure on behalf of the Army to take action in relation to the harassment that Gnr Beck was suffering at the hands of her line manager.
- Failure on behalf of the Army to take appropriate action against the NCO at whose hands she had suffered a sexual assault.
However, Mr Rheinberg said he would not be preparing a report to prevent future deaths as he had been reassured by the Army that matters were "currently under review and revision".
Ending the inquest, the coroner offered his condolences to Gnr Beck's family.
He said: "I am sorry I meet you in terrible circumstances. I am pleased that you will have comfort in the strength that you have together."
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