Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

(asked on 13th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Office of Veterans' Affairs understands the potential effects of sexual assault and harassment on serving armed forces' personnel's (a) physical health and (b) emotional and psychological well-being.


Answered by
Johnny Mercer Portrait
Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This question was answered on 18th 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 assault and harassment 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.

The Office for Veterans Affairs (OVA) was created as part of the Cabinet Office to be the voice for veterans across Whitehall. It is committed to understanding the experiences of all Armed Forces personnel and how their time in service might impact on their life as a veteran. Defence Ministers and officials maintain a regular and ongoing dialogue with the OVA, Department for Health and Social Care and third sector partners to ensure that we share best practice and the latest understanding of the most effective ways to address the health and wellbeing issues faced by the Armed Forces community, both serving and veteran.

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