Former official admits sexual assault soldier who sexually assaulted his own life
A former Army sergeant major pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage woman soldier who committed suicide after being frightened by the incident.
On December 15, 1921, Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was found dead in Larkhill, Wiltshire.
She filed a complaint against Sergeant Bowke Michael Webber after pinning her down and trying to kiss her during a work social event.
An investigation into Gunner Beck’s death this year determines that the Army’s handling of the complaint is “more than just the smallest contribution to her death.”
Webber, who has since left the army, pleaded guilty to a sexual assault at a pre-trial hearing last Friday. He is waiting for the verdict now.
“Michael Webber admits her guilt and has not traumatized us with more legal proceedings, but nothing can eliminate the devastating loss of our beautiful daughter Jaysley,” Gunner Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, said in a statement.
Gunner Baker reported the attack, despite his superiors trying to convince her not to do so. Her mother said she did “everything right.”
“She immediately reported the attack, not once, but twice.”
She said the military’s command chain failed to report sexual assault to police, causing her daughter to fail.
She added: “If they did something simple, we believe she will still be with us today.”
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck reports the attack despite superiors trying to convince her not to [Family Handout]
The coroner said during the investigation that Captain James Hook put pressure on gunman Baker to give up the charges and report them only to higher orders, “The cat has come out of the bag.”
The investigation heard the subsequent “miscommunication” through the chain of command meant that the details of Weber’s attempt to put his hand between the legs of the gunman Baker were lost.
The incident was not reported to the police, but was a “warrant for misconduct.”
At that time, BSM Webber received a “secondary administrative action interview” with no further consequences.
Weeks after the attack, an investigation learned that gunman Baker was also “ruthlessly harassed” by another soldier.
Her line manager Bombardier Ryan Mason sent her more than 4,600 text messages acknowledging how he felt about her, as well as a 15-page “Love Story” detailing his “fantasy about her.”
Army apologizes to Gunner Beck’s family for “disappointing her” [Family Handout]
Gunner Beck’s family asked Wiltshire police to consider a criminal lawsuit against Mr Webber after an investigation in February.
In June, the unit passed the documents to the Service Prosecution Authority and then confirmed that Mr Weber would be charged with sexual assault.
He pleaded guilty to the charge at a pretrial hearing on Friday.
The Army has apologized to Gunner Beck’s family for “disappointing her.”
After the investigation in February, it said: “We can do and we should do more.”
The Army said clear and clear policies have now been proposed to point out that “the tolerance for unacceptable sexual behavior is zero.”
Emma Norton, the attorney who acts on Gunner Beck’s family, said the person who sexually assaulted her now pleads guilty, which is a huge relief.
But she added: “If the Army and its chain of command had just heard of Jaysley, it would make a huge difference when she first told them about the attack and reported it to the police instead of trying to convince her that it wasn’t that serious.”
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