Streeting 'sickened' by sex abuse claims at Army college

Wes Streeting expressed deep distress over claims of rape and sexual abuse of young female recruits at the Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate. Four women have come forward alleging sexual assault and harassment while attending the North Yorkshire college, describing a culture of misogyny and sexual violence. The defence secretary pledged to investigate the issues at Harrogate and expand the effort to cultivate a culture change across the armed forces and defense.

The Army firmly stated that such "unacceptable and criminal behavior" has no place in their armed forces and encouraged victims and witnesses to come forward. Police in North Yorkshire disclosed that they had received 16 reports of sexual offenses linked to the college in the year ending June, encompassing allegations of exposure, voyeurism, and sexual assault.

However, no information was provided on whether the reports resulted in prosecutions. Over 176 complaints of inappropriate sexual behavior were lodged at the college between January 2018 and June 2025, according to Ministry of Defence (MoD) data.

The women, whose identities have been protected, all attended AFC over the past five years. One woman, Tilly, recounted being raped by multiple junior soldiers, all her peers, at the age of 17. She described feeling like "a piece of meat" as several soldiers took off their clothes and engaged in non-consensual acts. Wes Streeting expressed empathy for the women, praising them for speaking out and emphasizing the importance of maintaining high standards in uniform and treating every woman with dignity and respect.

Another woman, whose mother shared her story, was sexually assaulted and subjected to constant sexual harassment during her training. The lock on her room was non-functional, forcing her to sleep with a door open to prevent male soldiers from entering. One woman described experiencing misogynistic attitudes and behavior from staff, with an instructor allegedly stating, "It's all about the pussy and how much of it you can get."

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) affirmed that the college welcomes external scrutiny and challenge, noting that AFC hosted various safeguarding bodies, parliamentarians, the Children's Commissioner's office, and received an outstanding report from Ofsted. However, Sarah Atherton, a former MP for Wrexham, called for an independent inquiry to restore public confidence in the college. Atherton, who previously led a government review on women's experiences in the armed forces, advocated for this step.

Emma Lewell MP echoed the sentiment, stating that if this situation were present in any other school or residential environment for children, it would have been shut down. Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, pledged to ensure that the "appalling attacks" were investigated and those responsible, including those who failed to safeguard the girls, would be held accountable. She emphasized that all children living away from home have the right to contact her team for support.