Written question asked by Will Stone (Labour) on Thursday, 30 October 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 3 November 2025. It was answered by Louise Sandher-Jones (Labour) on Tuesday, 18 November 2025 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
Army Foundation College: Sexual Offences
- Question
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To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints have been made by (a) junior soldiers and (b) their parents or guardians about unacceptable sexual behaviour at the Army Foundation College between 1 January 2018 and 30 November 2024.
- Answer
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The information is not held in the format requested.
However, 159 sexual misconduct allegations were recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system against personnel serving at Army Foundation College (Harrogate) (AFC(H)) between 1 January 2018 and 30 November 2024. 108 of these allegations predated the Unacceptable Sexual Behaviour (USB) policy which came into effect on 19 November 2022. It is important to note that these figures include all Army personnel located at AFC(H), regardless of whether they are staff or Junior Soldiers.
AFC(H) reports every instance of unacceptable sexual behaviour under its Zero Tolerance Policy and actively encourages recruits to report concerns from day one. Serious incidents are reported to the civilian police. On arrival at AFC(H) the recruits receive day-one training in Army Values and Standards emphasizing Zero Tolerance and mandatory discharge for certain transgressions. Ofsted inspections in 2021 and 2024 praised how recruits confidently report unacceptable behaviours by peers and staff, knowing complaints will be handled seriously and swiftly. Ofsted noted that emotional and psychological safety, inclusion, and teamwork are firmly embedded in College life.
In March 2024, after interviewing 61.5% of female Junior Soldiers, Ofsted found that "female recruits rarely experience instances of sexual harassment or bullying. If they do, they know how to report it and know that staff will deal with it swiftly."
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 86789
- Session
- 2024-26
- Subjects
- Complaints Army Foundation College Sexual offences
- Contains statistics
- Yes
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2025-11-18 16:00:05 +0000
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