The Ministry of Defence has recently set out two new policies and a fresh strategy to eliminate unacceptable sexual misconduct within the UK’s Armed Forces.
The latest action builds on measures already brought in by the Ministry of Defence to tackle such misconduct, which were created alongside the Zero Tolerance policy: Discharge for sexual offences and sexual instructor-trainee relationships that was announced earlier in 2022.
Leo Docherty MP, minister for defence people, said: “Abusive, discriminatory or predatory behaviour has no place in our Armed Forces and these measures send a clear message that these types of behaviours will not be tolerated.
“As a forward thinking and modern employer, the Armed Forces are a place where our serving personnel can thrive, and we will continue to expect the highest values and standards of each and every one of them.”
The Zero Tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Policy supports the MoDs commitment to tackle unacceptable sexual behaviour within the Armed Forces and prohibits all sexual activity which involves the abuse of power, including buying sex while on active duty abroad. The policy will ensure that every allegation will be responded to, no matter where the act takes place, and introduces a presumption of discharge for anyone found to be engaging in the targeted behaviours, including buying sex while deployed outside the UK.
The Tackling Sexual Offending in Defence Strategy will empower victims and aims to reduce the prevalence and impact of sexual offending in the Armed Forces.
The strategy will be implemented through the application of preventative measures such as awareness-raising, training and better understanding the most prevalent types of offenders. Victims who fear they will not be listened to will be reassured and encouraged to come forward and seek support, and the adoption of recommendations from reviews into the service’s justice system will encourage increased reporting, engagement and successful prosecutions when instances of misconduct occur.
Furthermore, the Zero Tolerance to Unacceptable Sexual Behaviour Policy outlines an approach that is focused on victims and/or survivors of abuse. The policy covers all UK Armed Forces and follows the recent publication of the Zero Tolerance to Sexual Offending and Sexual Relationships Between Instructors and Trainees Policy, which introduced mandatory discharge for anyone convicted of a sexual offence.
The new policy places greater emphasis on the support for victims, with a presumption of discharge from the Armed Forces for any person who has behaved in a sexually unacceptable way. This policy aims to build trust and confidence in the MoD’s ability to deal with unacceptable behaviours and demonstrates that supporting people who are victims of unacceptable sexual behaviour is a priority measure.
The MoD has said that these new policies are also part of its efforts to follow through on the recommendations made by Sarah Atherton MP in her ‘Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life’ report.
Following Atherton’s inquiry, the MoD has also delivered an extensive programme as part of the government response, which includes further training around consent, overhauling the Service Complaints system, improving uniform and equipment provided for women in the Armed Forces, and implementing the Servicewomen’s Health Improvement Sprint, which is helping make the Armed Forces an inclusive employer.
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