Whistleblowers expose sexual violence and ‘institutional misogyny’ in armed forces

Reports include a young servicewoman waking up to discover a male training staff member sniffing her underwear after previously waking up to see him ‘watching her sleeping’

Lieut Col Allen warns while sexual violence is rife in all walks of life, the armed forces is ‘a closed shop’ which means ‘perpetrators are better able to operate with impunity’ (PA)

A junior servicewoman who says she was raped is among the whistleblowers exposing a “wider culture of institutional misogyny” within the armed forces, according to a new parliamentary committee report.

The Commons Defence Committee released a series of personal testimonies, collected by a forces medical team, revealing ongoing rape and sexual abuse within the military.

In a written submission, it details how the the alleged rape victim claimed she was moved across the country against her will to separate her from her attacker, whom she was told would remain with his elite unit.