In a devastating turn of events, a teenage soldier, Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021. An Army service inquiry report reveals a distressing account of “an intense period of unwelcome behaviour” by one of her superiors, indicating a link between the harassment and her apparent suicide.

The report discloses that Gunner Beck’s immediate boss bombarded her with over 1,000 WhatsApp messages and voicemails in October 2021, escalating to more than 3,500 the following month. The boss, desiring a relationship, continued this behavior until a week before Beck’s tragic demise.

Gunner Beck’s family expressed the impact on her mental well-being, citing her distress and emotional toll. Despite her mother’s knowledge of the harassment, blocking the boss was not straightforward due to professional dynamics.

The Army’s investigation exposed broader issues, highlighting inappropriate sexual behavior within Larkhill Garrison, particularly towards female soldiers. The report indicates that measures addressing such behavior were implemented as part of a new policy for the armed forces in November 2022.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps expressed deep sadness over the revelations and emphasized the need to eradicate sexual harassment from the military. Gunner Beck’s family’s lawyer, Emma Norton, acknowledged the Army’s admission of harassment as a causative factor in her death but called for more significant systemic changes, urging independent bodies to handle such cases.

Despite acknowledging family issues, including bereavement, as factors in Gunner Beck’s death, her family disputes this claim. The circumstances surrounding her death await determination by the coroner, and the Army refrains from further comments until the conclusion of the inquest.