Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

(asked on 4th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reported incidents of (a) sexual harassment, (b) sexual assault and (c) rape there were by (i) gender and (ii) service in each year from 2015 to 2018; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Johnny Mercer Portrait
Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This question was answered on 11th May 2020

The Ministry of Defence is absolutely clear there is no place for sexual offending in the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are committed to addressing the issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault through a range of actions, including awareness campaigns and training presentations around sexual consent.

We recognise the great courage it takes to come forward and report a sexual offence. Personnel who come forward can have full confidence that all allegations are thoroughly investigated; Commanding Officers must always refer any allegation of rape and sexual assault, or any other offence which may have a sexual element, to the Service Police. Anyone found to fall short of the Services’ high standards or to have committed an offence is dealt with appropriately, up to and including imprisonment and dismissal from service.

Detailed statistics about sexual offending in the Service Justice System are published annually as part of our commitment to openness and transparency: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sexual-offences-in-the-service-justice-system

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