Free legal advice for Royal Navy, Army and RAF personnel and civilians who report sexual offences by military

Both service personnel and civilians will be eligible for the support from specialist solicitors from outside the Ministry of Defence (MoD). This covers anyone in the Royal Navy, Army, RAF, and Royal Marines.

People who report a sexual offence or rape that they allege was committed by someone subject to service law will qualify. The scheme aims to help victims navigate the process and understand their rights, as well as make decisions on data disclosure. The Independent Legal Advocacy (ILA) support programme will run as a 12-month pilot from this spring.

Veterans and people minister Louise Sandher-Jones said: “We are determined that those who come forward to report rape or sexual assault get the support they need. The new Independent Legal Advocacy service will ensure that, for the first time in Defence, victim-survivors get free, independent legal advice – completely outside the chain of command – to help them understand their rights and navigate what can be a daunting journey to justice.

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“This initiative is part of our government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve and reflects the seriousness with which we are taking this issue.”

The Government is also seeking to strengthen protections for service personnel from sexual abuse and harassment as part of its Armed Forces Bill going through Parliament. Unwarranted sexual behaviour has been a longstanding problem in the military.

As outlined in the recently published Armed Forces Sexualised Behaviours and Sexual Harassment Survey, 32 per cent of female regulars were touched inappropriately or groped while serving, compared to five per cent males. Additionally, eight per cent of females - from a total of 65,795 regulars - report that they suffered from “non-consensual sexual activity”, with only one per cent of males experiencing the same.

The bill will bring in new protective orders to speed up taking action against perpetrators and give new powers to service police to authorise pre-charge custody. It comes amid a drive to take action after a wave of accusations of a culture of sexual harassment and misogyny in the Armed Forces. In 2021, Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, took her own life in her barracks at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire, after her allegations of sexual assault against a former sergeant while training in Thorney Island were not taken seriously.