‘British Armed Forces still not safe for women four years after my daughter killed herself after sexual assault’
A mother has warned that the British Armed Forces are still not a safe place for young women, four years after her daughter committed suicide after being sexually assaulted by a former sergeant major.
The body of Royal Artilleryman Jaysley Beck was found at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021; This was five months after the 19-year-old was sexually assaulted by Warrant Officer Michael Webber, then 39. Beck was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at the Court Martial Center in Bulford, Wiltshire, on Friday.
Ms Beck’s family attributed her death to the cumulative impact of the attack and the combined impact of the incident, which later included pressure put on Ms Beck by the authorities not to file a police report, which “shattered her faith in the system that was supposed to deal with her”.
The court heard that a service investigation carried out in 2023 also found Ms Beck had been “subject to a range of inappropriate behavior by senior staff in the months before her death”, of which Webber was just one.
But almost four years later, Ms Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, warned that little had changed in the Army since her daughter’s death.
Asked outside the courthouse whether the British Armed Forces were currently a safe space for young women, she said: Independent: “Obviously not, because they’re protecting themselves. Safe space? No. It’s still going on – I’m getting inundated with young women saying, ‘What happened to your daughter is happening to me,’ and they’re still not believed…
“[But] “We empower them to go ahead and speak out.”
He said the family’s heartache was indescribable but they continued to fight for justice for their “cheerful, kind, caring” daughter, and that Friday’s sentence was “just the beginning” of their fight. “We cannot bring our daughter back, but we will continue to fight,” he said.
“There is no evidence of change yet, and that’s what Jaysley’s voice is about now. We don’t want to be on the other side of it and see another soldier fail the way our daughter failed.”
Ms McCready claimed Army ‘protected’ [Webber’s] Following Webber’s sentencing, no detention images were released to the media. Independent He contacted the Ministry of Defense for comment.
“People deserve to see this man; he deserves to be there, he deserves to be embarrassed,” Ms. McCready said.
The family called for the establishment of independent bodies to address complaints, warning: “The army cannot continue to do its homework.”
Meanwhile, in a message to young women, Ms McCready said: “Do not join the Army until real change is made. They are still failing us.”
He described the statements issued by the Army in response to Ms Beck’s death as “empty words” and said he would not accept their apology.
“It’s been four years since we stood here and said we’re making these changes. How long will it take for changes to be made and real action to be taken?” he said. “Real change needs to happen now. Real change needs to happen after my daughter passes away.”
The family blames Webber’s attack and the subsequent handling of the incident by authorities for Ms Beck’s death.
“What they did and the aftermath cost our daughter her life,” Ms. McCready said.
“He did everything right but the system failed to support and protect him. He followed the rules but those in charge did not follow their own rules…
“If she had been rested, she would still be here. They branded her a troublemaker. To this day, they are failing us as a family.”
He added that Ms Beck was due in court on Friday to watch Webber be punished for what he did to her.
Deputy Chief of Staff (ACGS) Major General Jon Swift said on Friday: “We will always be deeply saddened by the failings identified at Jaysley’s investigation in February. The end of this court-martial is another traumatic step in the journey for Jaysley’s family, and we accept today’s outcome comes too late for their beloved daughter. “We are sorry we did not listen to Jaysley when she first reported the attack.
“We are committed to ensuring the same mistakes don’t happen again. Since Jaysley’s death, we have embarked on a significant cultural reform programme, alongside the ‘Raising Our Standards’ programme. We are making improvements to how we train our people on appropriate behaviour, how we evaluate and select our leaders, and to build our people’s trust in us to address every complaint.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress or finding it difficult to cope, you can speak to Samaritans confidentially on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org or visit . Samaritans Website to find details of your nearest branch
Rape Crisis offers support to those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them in England and Wales on 0808 802 9999, in Scotland on 0808 801 0302 and in Northern Ireland on 0800 0246 991 or visit their website at: www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you’re in the US, you can call Rainn at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
