London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Defence secretary summons UK army board amid series of scandals

Defence secretary summons UK army board amid series of scandals

Ben Wallace said to be ‘exasperated’ following bullying and harassment scandals and Kenyan woman killing allegations
The defence secretary, Ben Wallace, summoned senior generals to a rare special meeting of the army’s management board in London on Monday morning amid growing unhappiness about the service’s response to a series of scandals.

Allies of the minister said he had become exasperated after a series of bullying and harassment scandals, as well as allegations that a Kenyan woman was killed in 2012 by a British soldier whose identity is known to several colleagues.

The MoD said the hour-long meeting in Whitehall had been “full and frank” and that recent events had “brought to light important issues that require all our people to play their part in resolving”. It added: “The British army is only as good as the people who serve in it.”

Insiders said the tone of the meeting – attended by ministers and two-, three- and four-star generals – was largely constructive, and that the senior officers present had agreed with Wallace to address what the MoD described as “core and cultural issues” affecting the army.

No specific actions were cited, however, and the post-meeting statement also said the army would set out “exciting new plans for its future structure and deployments” later this month.

Two-thirds of women in the armed forces have experienced bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination during their career, a parliamentary report concluded this summer, warning also that the military is “failing to protect” female recruits.

It cited reports of gang-rape, sex for promotion and trophies or contests to “bag the women” on camp. Some women said they were bullied for refusing sexual advances, or had witnessed friends being attacked by groups of men but were too afraid to report it.

Since September, new army recruits have had to participate in sexual consent training provided by the Royal Military Police. But that requirement does not apply to existing soldiers, defence sources added.

On Monday night Sir Mark Carleton Smith, the head of the service, also announced the army would hold an independent audit of army culture to “reinforce the best and weed out the worst” as well as ensure better training and pastoral support.

In the past month, the army’s reputation has been damaged further after a press investigation into the unresolved 2012 killing of the 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan hairdresser who had turned to sex work to support her family.

The young woman was found dead in a septic tank near a British army based in the east African country, where she may have been dumped while still alive, after last being seen walking out of a hotel bar accompanied by a soldier in uniform.

A soldier confessed to her murder to colleagues, and his identity has been an open secret within the Duke of Lancaster’s regiment for years. But an investigation was only reopened by Kenyan and British military police in the last week.

Emma Norton, the director of the Centre for Military Justice, said the MoD needed to go further in dealing with bullying and harassment and allow civil authorities to take over all rape and sexual assault allegations, as well as introducing a central complaints team independent of each armed service to deal with serious harassment cases. “They know what they need to do, but they do not get on and do it,” she said.

The meeting also heard ministerial complaints about the ongoing noise and vibration problems with the next generation Ajax armoured fighting vehicle, which the MoD has expected to start taking delivery of this summer, but has now been indefinitely delayed amid accusations that its problems have been understated.

Further misconduct allegations will be aired in the high court on Tuesday, relating to the killing of four members of one Afghan family in 2011 in an SAS night-time raid. The deaths, described in one internal email as “the latest massacre!”, are among 33 suspicious killings involving the special forces in Afghanistan in 2011.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Politic is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
×