25th July marked the year anniversary of the recommendations made by Rt. Hon. Sarah Atherton MP in her report ‘Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life’. A year on, Defence have taken on these recommendations and introduced an extensive programme of work alongside the work that was already being undertaken to tackle unacceptable sexual behaviour, improve the experience for women in the Armed Forces and build trust in the Service Justice System.
Most recently Defence has launched three new measures that provide clearer direction to prevent and address incidents. These are the Zero Tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) Policy (JSP 769), the Zero Tolerance to Unacceptable Sexual Behaviour: A Victim/Survivor Focused Approach Policy (2022DIN01-073) and the Tackling Sexual Offending in Defence Strategy. These policies will ensure that Defence continues to tackle unacceptable sexual behaviour and is a place where people are proud to work and have faith in their justice system.
In parallel to the recently published policies, a significant programme of work has been delivered across Defence and was set out in the Government’s Response to Sarah Atherton’s Inquiry. This includes training developments, transformation of the Service Complaints System, the stand-up of the Defence Serious Crime Unit HQ, delivery of improvements to uniform and equipment, and the Servicewomen’s Health Improvement Sprint.
