Soldier’s tragic inquest sees greater than 1,000 army ladies share tales of rape, abuse and harassment – as Army chief tells senior officers to ‘step up’
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The head of the army has written to senior officers condemning ‘shameful behaviour’ after more than 1000 women shared stories following the suicide of a teenage soldier.
In a letter seen by MailOnline, General Sir Roly Walker said he was ‘disgusted’ by new allegations of sexual abuse and that the behaviour does not match ‘our Values and Standards’.
It comes amid an inquest into the death of Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, who was tragically found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on December 15 2021.
She had previously complained about the behaviour of a senior colleague who ‘pinned her down and tried to kiss her’ as well as another ‘psychotic and possessive’ male colleague who she feared had hacked her phone.
An Army service inquiry report published in October 2023 said it was ‘almost certain’ an ‘intense period of unwelcome behaviour’ had been a causal factor in the teenager’s death.
Now, hundreds of women have shared stories of being raped, abused and harassed while serving in the military as an inquest into the tragic death of Gunner Beck continues.
Posts uploaded anonymously to social media include allegations of women being pinned to the floor by male officers as well as reports of men trying to force their way into their female colleagues’ rooms.
One woman said: ‘I used to hold my breath in my room at night when they were trying the door, to make them think I was out.’
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire in 2021 following a period of constant bombardment from Bombardier Ryan Mason
In a letter seen by MailOnline, General Sir Roly Walker said he was ‘disgusted’ by new allegations of sexual abuse and that the behaviour does not match ‘our Values and Standards’
General Sir Roly Walker said: ‘You will all have seen the messages on social media over the past few days, responding to the inquest into the tragic death of Gunner Jaysley Beck’
Another said: ‘I was coming back from the toilet one day when a bloke came out of the showers, pinned me against the wall. Dropped his towel and told me that he “knew exactly what I needed”.’
In his letter, distributed on Valentine’s Day, General Sir Roly Walker said: ‘You will all have seen the messages on social media over the past few days, responding to the inquest into the tragic death of Gunner Jaysley Beck.
‘These report numerous allegations of appalling and shameful behaviour in our ranks. I hope, like me, you are disgusted by what is being written.’
The General went on to say senior officers had just had a ‘TEAMWORK [sic]’ event to ‘keep speaking about it’ adding ‘it is even worse if the Chain of Command is not doing enough or is actively complicit in this’.
He concluded: ‘Stand up and play your part as a leader, visibly and confidently, to stop this.’
It comes several years after army chiefs pledged to stamp out abuse and harassment and after a Gunner Beck’s mother shared a heartbreaking tribute in relation to the death of her daughter.
Leighann McCready said: ‘She was more than a soldier. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend. She was kind, bright, full of life. She should still be here.’
She continued: ‘Her voice was silenced, but her story speaks louder than ever. Over 700 voices have come forward. No one should have to suffer in silence.’
The letter comes after Gunner Beck’s mother Leighann McCready (pictured) shared a heartbreaking tribute in relation to the death of her daughter
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley-Louise Bek, 19, died at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021 following an ‘intense period’ of ‘unwelcome behaviour’ from a superior
The young woman joined the Army at 16, joining the Royal Regiment of Artillery, which is headquartered at Larkhill
A coroner heard yesterday police investigated the alleged harassment of Gunner Beck by her supervisor in the run-up to the teenager’s death – but dropped the inquiry after concluding evidence didn’t reach a criminal threshold.
The teen was bombarded with more than 4,000 WhatsApp messages from Bombardier Ryan Mason in the weeks prior to the discovery of her body at Larkhill Camp.
Mr Mason, who has since left the Army, was also said to have booked and paid for neighbouring hotel rooms for himself and Gunner Beck during a work trip a week before her death.
Yesterday, Detective Inspector Eirin Martin told assistant coroner Nicholas Rheinberg how the force had received a complaint about Mr Mason’s conduct from Gunner Beck’s mother following her daughter’s death.
DI Martin, of Wiltshire Police, said: ‘After the coronial investigation, we received a complaint via an online report from Jaysley’s mother in relation to a complaint of harassment by Mr Mason against Jaysley.
‘This evidenced the text messages we had seen from the family which were investigated, and disclosure by Jaysley’s friends and family.
‘We conducted an investigation looking at harassment over that period of time and the conclusion was the evidence didn’t support a criminal harassment case.’
DI Martin said the nature of the messages, and of the relationship between Mr Mason and Gunner Beck ‘didn’t amount to enough for us to go to the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service)’.
Gunner Beck with her family. Her mother said that the 19-year-old had a ‘really lovely aura about her’
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck at her passing out parade. Her friend had said: ‘Jaysley wasn’t happy with what had happened but if you are in the Army and a lower rank no one will believe you, especially against a higher rank’
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck pictured on parade. She was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021.
She added that prosecutions under Section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 must take place within six months of the offence, with that time limit exceeded by the time of the complaint.
Salisbury Coroner’s Court heard Mr Mason’s laptop was seized and a 14-page document retrieved, which the officer described as a ‘journal of his inner thoughts’ touching upon his working life and relationships and ‘a significant amount around his feelings towards Jaysley’.
Mr Mason, who is now a driving instructor, declined to answer a number of questions relating to his feelings for and behaviour towards Gunner Beck when he appeared at her inquest last week.
He had been advised by the coroner that he did not have to answer questions if his answers were likely to incriminate him – a warning given to other witnesses during the inquest.
The court has heard that the pair’s working relationship had started normally but Mr Mason, who was Gunner Beck’s line manager, began ‘overstepping the mark’ and she became ‘scared’ of him.
Mr Mason had repeatedly expressed his love for her in 3,600 WhatsApp messages sent in November 2021, having sent Gunner Beck a further 1,000 messages a month earlier.
The court had previously heard about a work event the pair attended with another colleague in Berkshire, a week before her death.
Gunner Beck, from Oxen Park, Cumbria, found out Mr Mason had paid for their hotel rooms after questioning why they had neighbouring rooms while their colleague was staying in a different part of the hotel.
An inquiry heard evidence from witnesses about inappropriate sexual behaviour by male soldiers towards their female colleagues at Larkhill
The coroner remarked it would have been a ‘huge scandal’ for the allegation in relation to Sergeant Webber to have been made public and said it would have ‘affected the reputation of the regiment’
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck with her mother Leighann McCready. At the inquest, Ms McCready described how her daughter ‘did not feel safe’ as the situation involving Mr Mason intensified
The inquest heard Gunner Beck then rang her father in a ‘frightened state’ and he stayed on the phone until a male colleague collected her from the hotel.
Gunner Beck later sent a message to Mr Mason telling him she needed ‘time out’, adding that his behaviour had taken a ‘huge toll’ on her mental health.
Mr Mason told the inquest he went back to his family home in West Yorkshire the next day, before handing in his notice to quit the Army.
Last week, Warrant Officer Michael Webber declined to answer questions relating to an incident in which he allegedly pinned down Gunner Beck and attempted to kiss her while on exercise at Thorney Island in July 2021.
He received a minor administrative action following the incident and was later promoted to Warrant Officer Class 1, the most senior soldier rank in the British Army.
And on Monday, George Higgins, a former sergeant who has since left the Army, declined to answer questions about whether his relationship with Gunner Beck, who was eight years younger than him, had begun when she was a recruit in Harrogate.
Mr Rheinberg is due to give his conclusion tomorrow as the inquest into Jaysley Beck’s death continues.
MailOnline has contacted the Army for comment.
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