The armed forces should be investigated for systemic abuse – not given more money

Peace campaigners are calling on the UK government to hold the British Armed Forces to account for systemic abuse within their ranks and to halt planned rises in military spending.

The armed forces have systemic problems with abuse and misogyny

The inquest into the suicide of 19-year-old soldier Jaysley Beck this week has revealed a harrowing culture of abuse and cover-up within the armed forces. The inquest found that her death was caused by the sexual assault and harassment she suffered at the hands of senior colleagues, as well as the Army’s failure to investigate her allegations or report them to the police.

The revelations follow a long series of stories of abuse across all branches of the UK armed forces, including allegations of widespread sexism and harassment in the RAF’s Red Arrows display team and the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service, and a parliamentary report which found that almost two-thirds of women in the armed forces have experienced bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination.

In spite of mounting evidence of systemic abuse, Labour Party PM Keir Starmer is ramping up support for the armed forces through increased military spending.

On the back of multiple military spending hikes under the Tories, the Labour government is promising to increase the UK’s military budget to 2.5% of GDP, in line with NATO’s target for member states. Keir Starmer is under pressure to meet this target quickly, or even exceed it, with UK politicians and military figures urging increases to as much as 3.5% of GDP. The Strategic Defence Review, led by former senior military, defence and security figures, is likely to recommend significant spending increases in its impending report.

Peace campaigners from the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) have responded with shock and sorrow to the latest reports of abuse, as revealed in the inquest. They have slammed the government for brushing these, and many similar reports, aside while offering ever-increasing support and funding to the armed forces.

Acting with impunity

Amy Corcoran, the PPU’s operations manager, said:

If any other institution had seen numerous reports of rape and sexual assault within the space of a few years, it would be subject to major investigation and serious repercussions. Instead, military chiefs continue to pretend these are isolated incidents, and the government rewards the armed forces with huge increases in public spending.

The PPU points out that the armed forces are the only institutions in the UK that are allowed to run their own criminal courts and judicial system, along with their own police forces. The PPU argues that this effectively allows the armed forces to operate above the law.

The inquest into the death of Jaysley Beck comes on the back of a recent report by Child Rights International Network (CRIN), into widespread allegations of sexual offences and rape at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, where Jaysley Beck initially trained, along with most 16- and 17-year-old army recruits.

CRIN found that, within a three year period at the Army Foundation College, there were 15 internal complaints of violent behaviour by staff, 13 alleged sexual offences including nine cases of rape, and the conviction of multiple instructors working at the college.

In spite of this mounting evidence of endemic abuse, successive governments have lent unqualified support to the armed forces, with ever-increasing military spending. The PPU has consistently argued that this is a grievous waste of public funds, pointing out that the UK already has the fifth highest military budget in the world.

Accountability for the armed forces – not more money

Amy Corcoran said:

Spending more and more money on weapons and the armed forces does nothing to make us safer. On the contrary, it fuels military confrontation around the world, and sustains the unaccountable and abusive behaviour of the armed forces at home.

The PPU argues that military budgets would be better spent on desperately under-funded public services and major security threats such as climate change and pandemics. They challenge the armed forces’ recruitment practices, which target poorer areas of the country and – uniquely in Europe – children as young as 16 years old.

In recent months the PPU has criticised the UK armed forces for fuelling violence and geopolitical tensions by bombing Yemen, providing military backing to Israel during its genocide in Gaza, and leading NATO exercises in Eastern Europe.

Featured image via the Canary