Defence Serious Crime Command still failing victims, MOD review finds
An internal MOD review obtained by the BBC says the Defence Serious Crime Command, set up after Jaysley Beck's death, still fails victims and needs reform.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
An internal Ministry of Defence review has found that the Defence Serious Crime Command, created in 2022 to investigate the most serious crimes in the military independently of the chain of command, is still failing victims. The review, marked official sensitive and obtained by the BBC, says reporting serious crime remains complex and difficult for victims to navigate, and warns that without reform the command risks failing to meet victims' needs with ineffective investigations.
The command was launched after the death of 19-year-old soldier Jaysley Beck in 2021. An inquest found that the army's mishandling of a sexual assault and harassment contributed to her taking her own life. Jaysley's mother said the review showed the armed forces deserved better, adding that the army was still 'marking its own homework' and that the system had to be completely independent.
The MOD said the review was carried out to provide honest challenge and identify areas for improvement, and that it accepted the findings and had carried out significant work to address the concerns.
Separately, broadcast reporting has heard from women who served in the armed forces describing a toxic culture in which sexual abuse was an everyday threat and complaints were routinely ignored. One woman said she had been raped by 12 different people multiple times. Another, who served for decades, said abuse was worst in the senior ranks. The women said they felt trapped in silence and that reporting was dismissed.
The Defence Serious Crime Command is staffed by members of the RAF, Navy and Army, but investigations sit outside a victim's direct chain of command. However, concerns remain about independence. One charity supporting former servicewomen said there had been cases where the chain of command emailed military police investigators to offer a view on a case, and that victims perceived interference. The charity said demand for its services had never been higher, with one new woman contacting it every day.
The MOD said cultural issues were being addressed and that in the last four years 300 service personnel had been kicked out for behaviours that did not reach a criminal threshold. It said the Defence Serious Crime Unit had the best approaches and looked through the victim lens, and that there was no backlog of cases. But the women who spoke out said the need for change was urgent, and advised young women considering joining the forces not to be silenced.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| The Defence Serious Crime Command was launched in 2022 following the death of Jaysley Beck. | ||
| An internal review reported that reporting serious crime remains complex and difficult for victims. | · | |
| The charity Salute Her receives one new contact per day. | · | |
| The Ministry of Defence accepted the findings of the review. | · | |
| The Ministry of Defence reported that 300 service personnel were discharged for non-criminal behaviour in the last four years. | · | |
| The review warned that without reform the command risks failing to meet victims' needs. | · | |
| There have been cases of chain of command interference in investigations. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This report focuses on the internal MOD review itself, detailing its findings and the reaction from Jaysley Beck's mother. It does not include the broader testimonies of other women, but sticks to the report's content and the MOD's response. The tone is factual and critical, highlighting that the new command is still failing victims despite being set up after a tragedy.
- “Without reform, it says, it risks failing to meet victims' needs with ineffective investigations.”
- “As it still stands, the army are marking its own homework and this has to change.”
- “It said it accepted the findings and had carried out significant work to address the concerns raised.”
This report centres on the personal accounts of women who served, describing a toxic culture of sexual abuse and bullying. It uses the Defence Serious Crime Command as a backdrop, questioning whether it is truly independent. The tone is emotive and investigative, with a strong focus on the victims' experiences and the need for cultural change.
- “We've had cases where somebody from the chain of command has emailed the military police investigators to offer a view on the matter that they have just opened.”
- “The rapes that are coming through recently are really brutal.”
- “They talk about institutional betrayal being the primary trauma.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.