The sister of 19-year-old Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, who died by suicide after being sexually assaulted and harassed in the Army, has declared that the military is not a “safe space for women.”
Gunner Beck was found dead in her barracks at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire, on 15 December 2021, following a Christmas party. On Thursday, a coroner ruled that the Army had contributed to her death by failing to take action against the harassment and sexual assault she endured.
The inquest revealed that Gunner Beck was relentlessly harassed by her line manager, Bombardier Ryan Mason, and sexually assaulted by another colleague. Despite her courage in speaking up, her complaints were ignored.
Her sister, Emilli Beck, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, said she would not recommend women join the Army due to the unsafe environment. “I just don’t think it’s a safe space for women at this time. I think it’s scary, and I certainly wouldn’t advise it,” she said.
Ms Beck emphasized that her sister was never taken seriously when she reported an incident involving Battery Sgt Maj Michael Webber at a work social event. “She trusted that the Army would have dealt with this appropriately, and they just never did,” she said.
Coroner Rules Army Failed to Protect Gunner Beck
Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg found that the Army’s failure to take appropriate action against the harassment and sexual assault Gunner Beck suffered “more than minimally” contributed to her death.
“I find there was a failure on behalf of the Army to take action over the harassment she was suffering from her line manager,” he stated. “And there was a failure on behalf of the Army to take action against the senior officer at whose hands she suffered a sexual assault.”
Army Apologizes but Critics Demand More Action
Brig Melissa Emmett, head of the Army personnel services group, apologized to Gunner Beck’s family, stating that the Army has implemented “significant changes,” including clear policies of zero tolerance for unacceptable sexual behaviors.
“There is more work to do,” Emmett acknowledged. “It is my hope that such change will give service personnel the confidence they need to report sexual offences and inappropriate behaviors, knowing that they will be listened to.”
However, Ms Beck remains skeptical, stating that policies already existed but were not enforced. “I can appreciate them talking about measures that are going to be put in place, but these measures were always there—they were just never followed,” she said.
Calls for an Independent Body to Handle Serious Cases
Ms Beck believes that the culture of the Army needs to change and that an independent body should investigate serious cases of sexual assault and harassment.
“The pain that we felt in the last three-and-a-half years is something that I would never want another family to go through,” she said. “Female soldiers have completely lost faith in the Army.”
She added that her sister was a bright and joyful person. “Jaysley lived as her true authentic self, she was just an incredible person. She brought life to everybody’s life, she was just so happy, she always stayed the same.”
