New measures to see harassment and bullying complaints taken outside chain of command
A new tri-service unit sitting outside the chain of command has been introduced in an attempt to tackle unacceptable behaviour in the Armed Forces.
The changes also look to protect and support women across UK defence, with a central Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce established to drive cultural improvements.
Any bullying, harassment and discrimination-related service complaints will be dealt with quickly, fairly and in a standardised way, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Defence People and Veterans Minister Al Carns set out the measures before the Defence Select Committee.
He also said he was personally committed to ensuring the "Armed Forces is a place where everyone can thrive".
"Women in the Armed Forces play a vital role in our keeping our nation safe," he said. "This is not just a matter of basic justice and equality, it is essential to military effectiveness.
"Our people have spoken, and we have listened.
"We are moving at pace to create a new Tri-Service Complaints team to take the most serious complaints out of the chain of single Service command for the first time and to launch a central taskforce to give this issue the attention and focus it deserves."
The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Taskforce will be led by Mr Carns and a regional support network, with individuals involved trained on topics such as domestic violence and sexual offending.
These roles will be fulfilled by multidisciplinary experts to support Armed Forces personnel, including healthcare providers, social workers, and HR advisors and will link in to the Victim Witness Care Unit.
They will not only look to change the culture but look to help raise awareness and tackle violence against women across the military.
Alongside the taskforce, there will also be a Defence Voices Panel, which will be made up of service personnel and civil servants with the goal of providing honest feedback and lived experience.
It comes after 19-year-old Royal Artillery soldier Jaysley Beck was found hanged in her room in Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021.
Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg ruled at the Salisbury inquest that the Army's failure to take action after Gunner Beck was harassed by her line manager contributed to her death.
He also ruled that "on the balance of probabilities", she had been sexually assaulted by another senior colleague and the Army's failure to take appropriate action "more than minimally" had contributed to her death.
Following the case, there was an outpouring on social media of servicewoman telling tales of bullying, sexual assault, harrasment and bullying.
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