The UK government may have breached a young soldier’s right to life by failing to protect her from a sexual assault by a more senior colleague and from sustained unwelcome sexual attention from her line manager, a coroner has concluded.
Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, killed herself after errors were made in the way the army investigated a sexual assault, which made her reluctant to report her boss when he later launched an “onslaught” against her, the coroner said.
Nicholas Rheinberg, the assistant coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, strongly criticised “systemic” flaws in the way the army had investigated the sexual assault, saying all the senior officers involved had sought the least serious punishment for the man who carried out the attack.
Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, said the army had tried to cover up what happened and called on Keir Starmer to introduce changes that would stop the army from investigating itself. She said the police should re-investigate both the officer who sexually assaulted her daughter and her line manager.
“Jaysley was so much more than just a soldier – she was our daughter, a sister to Emilli, and a friend to so many,” McCready said. “She was full of life, bright, and absolutely fantastic at her job.”
She said Beck was so respectful that she called the officer “sir” even as he sexually assaulted her. “The army itself has said she was exactly the kind of person they wanted to join. She should still be here.”
McCready said 700 women and men had come forward during the two-week inquest to report abuse.
“We won’t stop fighting until meaningful action is taken,” she said.
“This is a message to Sir Keir Starmer and our government – things need to change. The army cannot be allowed to investigate itself any more – when it comes to cases of sexual harassment, assault, bullying and abuse. The army shouldn’t be marking their own homework.”
The inquest in Salisbury heard that in July 2021 Jaysley was allegedly assaulted by Battery Sgt Maj Michael Webber while on an adventure exercise. She told a relative this had included him putting his hands between her legs, and she had been so terrified she fled from him and slept in her car.
Rheinberg said: “These were not reactions to a stolen kiss. On the balance of probabilities I find that Jaysley was sexually assaulted.”
The coroner criticised the way the incident was investigated, concluding it should have been reported to the police rather than being dealt with, as it was, through a “minor administrative action”.
Rheinberg said that in the autumn and winter of 2021, Beck’s line manager, Bdr Ryan Mason, had sent her an “onslaught” of “inappropriate” messages that “clearly breached army codes of conduct”. He described Mason’s declarations of unrequited love as “disturbing” and “intolerable harassment over a sustained period”.
But, the coroner said, because of the way the Webber complaint was dealt with, Beck did not report Mason. She was found dead in her room at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021.
The coroner said: “There was a failure on behalf of the state to deal appropriately or effectively with the complaint by Jaysley following a sexual assault. The failure was systemic in that every senior officer involved in the decision-based process in seeking to secure the least possible punitive outcome on behalf of the accused failed to follow correct procedures, and in so doing so breached established policies.
“Jaysley was left with a feeling of injustice, but more importantly lost faith in her ability to complain effectively. Jaysley’s superiors were aware that a serious wrong had been done to Jaysley by a senior officer. Trivial disciplinary action was taken. Inappropriate paternalism can play no part in an institution that requires high standards.”
He added: “I find there is an arguable case for saying in relation to Jaysley the state breached her article 2 right to life by reason of the state’s failure to put in place a framework of laws, precautions, procedures and means of enforcement which will, to the greatest extent reasonably practicable, protect life.”
Serving and former soldiers told the inquest of a culture of women being harassed, propositioned and routinely targeted with misogynistic language. One witness said she had been propositioned by a sergeant when she was 17 and took to locking her door because she was frightened colleagues would walk in when she was in bed.
After the inquest Brig Melissa Emmett, the head of the army personnel services group, apologised to Beck’s family. “We should have done so much more to support and protect her,” she said.
Emmett said there had been “significant” changes made since Beck’s death including “zero-tolerance policies” issued in 2022 to “unacceptable sexual behaviours”.
Emma Norton, the founder of the Centre for Military Justice and a lawyer for Beck’s family, led calls for an independent body to investigate complaints from service personnel. “The service complaints process doesn’t work,” she said.
Alistair Carns, the minister for veterans and people, paid tribute to Beck and said the army would “reflect on the failings identified to learn lessons” from the inquest, adding that there was “no place for any abuse or unacceptable behaviours within the military”.
He said: “Let me be clear: there is no place for any abuse or unacceptable behaviours within the military. This government has stepped up efforts to bring about crucial reform and provide a place where people are proud to work and have faith in the service justice system. We will honour Jaysley’s legacy by ensuring this is done in the shortest possible time and in the most effective manner.”
Lisa Longstaff, of Women Against Rape, said: “The reports from the inquest reveal a horrific pattern of sexual abuse of power by officers who are of a higher rank and also age. We’ve campaigned with women in the military for over a decade who describe a systemic problem of men given a green light to harass, bully and even rape their colleagues with impunity.”
After Beck’s death, Wiltshire police investigated Webber and Mason but took no action.
• In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
