Jaysley Beck’s mother says ‘no apology will bring her back’

The mother of a teenage soldier who took her own life following relentless harassment says no apology from the Army “will ever bring our daughter back”.

Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was found hanged in her barracks at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021, following a work Christmas party.

Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg ruled the Army’s failure to take action after Gunner Beck was harassed by her line manager contributed to her death.

She had also been sexually assaulted by another senior colleague, and the Army’s failure to take appropriate action “more than minimally” contributed to her death, the coroner said.

At the inquest’s conclusion on Thursday, Mr Rheinberg determined Gunner Beck had intended to take her own life as a result of these “frightening” incidents.

He concluded: “I find there was a failure on behalf of the Army to take action over the harassment she was suffering from her line manager.

“And there was a failure on behalf of the Army to take action against the senior officer at whose hands she’d suffered a sexual assault.”

The coroner ruled the complaint “should have been reported to police and the failure to do so breached Army policy”.

“It was a sexual assault carried out on a 19-year-old Gunner by a middle-aged man of senior rank, and was recorded merely as inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a warrant officer,” he added.

Brigadier Melissa Emmett, head of the Army personnel services group, formally accepted failures were made and apologised to Gunner Beck’s grieving family.

Following the coroner’s conclusion, she said “significant changes” have been made within the Army, including the “introduction of clear and unequivocal policies to state that there will be zero tolerance to unacceptable sexual behaviours”.

She added: “There is more work to do. It is my hope that such change will give service personnel the confidence they need to report sexual offences and inappropriate behaviours, knowing that they will be listened to.”

However, Gunner Beck’s mother Leighann McCready said “true accountability” can only be achieved through independent scrutiny.

“I believe it was a cover-up and it’s been made clear through the findings that the Army has failed our daughter Jaysley,” she said.

“Things need to change. The Army cannot be allowed to investigate itself anymore when it comes to cases of sexual harassment, assault, bullying and abuse.

“The Army has admitted that it let Jaysley down, and has apologised for its failings – but no apology will ever bring our daughter back.

“Too often service women, and men, don’t feel able to speak up out of fear of being victimised, and even when they do, the Army is left to investigate itself.

“This cannot continue. Jaysley should still be here, we will not stop fighting until immediate action is taken.”

Alistair Carns, minister for veterans and people, paid tribute to Gunner Beck and said the Army will now “reflect on the failings identified to learn lessons” from her death.

He said: “Jaysley was a young and promising soldier who should have had the opportunity to thrive in a supportive and safe environment.

“Her death was and still is a tragedy, and we are deeply sorry for the failure to protect her.”

He said the Army would “honour Jaysley’s legacy” by ensuring crucial reform is carried out in the “shortest possible time and most effective manner”.

Mr Rheinberg said he would not prepare a report to prevent future deaths as he had been “reassured” by the Army that “matters are currently under review and revision”.

Public speaker Gemma Morgan, who served in the military from 1996 to 2002, said she recognised the torment endured by Gunner Beck.

She told BBC Radio 4 she experienced a “severe trauma response” when she returned from an operational tour as she grappled with the harrowing scenes she had witnessed.

Following a night of social drinking, Ms Morgan was raped by one of her colleagues.

“It made me quite vulnerable in an environment that to be honest I’d gotten used to, but really it was very predatory,” she said.

“When I asked for help in the medical centre the next day, no help was given. It was absolutely devastating.”

Ms Morgan described in her book Pink Camouflage how her “promising career” and mental health “completely spiralled” as a result.

“It’s taken me 25 years to speak out about the relentless sexual harassment and abuse that I and other women experienced,” she said.

“My view is that [military] defence has a deeply ingrained cultural problem where harassment and abuse is commonplace.

“We need to do better, we have to go beyond words and take real, measurable action.

“That starts with defence accepting it has a problem, and having the humility to work with the experts to create much needed change.”