Defence Secretary 'sickened' by allegations of sexual abuse at Army college for teens

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has said he is "absolutely sickened" by allegations of sexual abuse at a dedicated college for 16- and 17-year-old Army recruits.

Four women told the BBC they had been victims of sexual assaults, including rape by fellow junior soldiers, while attending the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Streeting paid tribute to the courage of those who had spoken up and said that victims had been badly failed.

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Dignity and respect

"We have a duty to uphold the very highest standards in uniform and to treat every woman with the dignity and respect she deserves," he said.

"I gather there have been some improvements since this case came to light, but I need to assure myself that we're doing everything we can to deliver the culture change that's needed so that everyone in uniform upholds the standards that we would expect."

The recent allegations follow previous incidents involving serious criminality at the base.

In the year to June, 16 complaints of inappropriate sexual behaviour were made by personnel – and there have been 178 complaints since 2018.

In 2023, a member of the college's training staff was imprisoned for seven years following a conviction for rape.

Mr Streeting said he was saddened that these allegations had emerged from the college where "there is some wonderful transformational work taking place that's changing life chances and giving opportunities to young people".

He added: "It's contingent on us to make sure we've got our act together."

On Thursday, a graduation parade involving 700 recruits was overshadowed as the allegations emerged in the media.

Nobody from the college was available to comment on the reports, but an Army spokesperson told BFBS Forces News that "unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our Armed Forces".

The Army Foundation College is the only training establishment within the military dedicated to the training of recruits under the age of 18.

Under UK law, a person is considered a child until they reach 18.

Recruits serving at the college, although officially classed as military personnel, attend under the permission of their parents or guardians – which can be revoked at any time.