The RAF is a “boys club” where sexual harassment, abuse and homophobia are common, says a female ex-corporal who was sexually harassed while serving.
Sam, who is not her real name, says she suffered “bullying, homophobia and sexual abuse” while in the force.
She left after being sexually assaulted by a male colleague, who was then acquitted by a military court and allowed to continue serving.
The RAF said “historic cases like this” had led to a “zero tolerance policy”.
Last year an employment tribunal ruled that Sam had been sexually harassed.
It also found that “there was no factual dispute that a sexual assault had been committed”.
Sam joined the RAF at the age of 19 as an aircraft technician, where she was one of very few women in the team.
In her first interview, she told JEE News that she enjoyed her job, and that job evaluation reports had given her glowing praise.
But she says she had to live with terrible sexism. Women were regularly cited for using offensive language and were the target of sexist jokes. She recalls two incidents in which men exposed themselves to her.
She was also in the minority as a gay woman. She says that hasn’t stopped male colleagues from “hunting her down” and saying they can “turn” her – get her to be gay.
Sam says she tried to put up with the so-called annoyance, but adds, “I understand why a lot of women don’t stay in the military, because it’s a tough crowd to get into.”
This proved even more difficult when she was sexually assaulted while she was sleeping.
Sam says he was “hung out to dry” when he reported the attack after being deployed to the Greek island of Crete in the summer of 2018.
She was on a night out base with her colleagues when she was sexually assaulted by a male corporal in a hotel.
She says she felt “a lot of pressure to brush it under the rug.”
Lack of forensic tests
When she reported the incident the next day, she says some of her superiors seemed more concerned with the fact that Sam and his colleagues had broken curfew than with her well-being.
“I just had the courage to tell someone and I was in trouble. There was no compassion, sympathy or advice about what was going to happen next.”
Several hours passed after the two members of the RAF police – both men – were interviewed.
They lacked the equipment to conduct proper forensic tests and had to ask a nearby US military base for help.
In 2019, the attack went to a military court, but the male suspect was acquitted – despite the court acknowledging failings in the investigation. He was allowed to continue serving. Sam says the decision left him “absolutely furious”.
“He just got away with it. It blows my mind.”
He then lodged a service grievance – the workplace grievance procedure for the armed forces – which took three years to complete.
The RAF eventually concluded that Sam had been subjected to behavior that was “sexually predatory (including) unwanted conduct which violated (her) dignity and constituted an appalling, hostile, humiliating , created a humiliating or offensive environment – which was a degree. Sexual harassment that was extremely serious.”
Sam says that when she returned to the UK, she suffered from anxiety and severe depression.
Several requests by him to be posted closer to his partner and family were turned down.
He was medically discharged in 2021 and left the service.
In December last year she won her case of sexual harassment at an employment tribunal, although a separate claim of sex discrimination was not upheld.
The RAF has appealed against the decision. It argues that the attack took place outside the base and that the service personnel involved had broken curfew.
In a statement, an RAF spokesman said “historic incidents like this have led to the introduction of a zero tolerance policy to send a clear message that unacceptable sexual behavior will not be tolerated”.
The RAF added that there are now a number of measures in place, including the creation of a Defense Serious Crimes Unit, to investigate such allegations.
But solicitor Emma Norton, who represented Sam, said her case was “typical of women” in the armed forces who approach her for help.
“It all boils down to a culture of sexism, disrespect for women, victim-blaming, and a system completely incapable of helping victims,” said Ms. Norton, who runs the Center for Military Justice, which provides independent legal advice to military personnel. report.”
