Armed Forces: Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences

(asked on 30th March 2022) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's procedure is when establishing whether an armed forces member convicted of domestic violence, sexual assault or abuse should be (a) dismissed and (b) discharged.


Answered by
Leo Docherty Portrait
Leo Docherty
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
This question was answered on 19th April 2022

In relation to sexual offences, on 30 March 2022 Defence published a 'Zero Tolerance to Sexual Offences' policy: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-publishes-its-zero-tolerance-approach-to-sexual-offences. This policy mandates that anyone convicted of a sexual offence will be discharged. In relation to other non-sexual offences which may be committed under the catch-all term of 'domestic violence', such as battery or actual bodily harm, the Services will consider any conviction awarded to a Service person (Regular or Reserve) and take proportionate action in response. Serious offences will result in discharge.

Reticulating Splines