BBK Manifesto: Change the sexual trauma jurisdiction
If you are a Service person you are less likely to get justice where you have been the victim of a sexual crime, so we believe a number of offences should be removed from the military’s jurisdiction.
Rape convictions in the civilian jurisdiction, for example, are still far higher than in the Service Justice System.
Our view, based on thousands of client conversations about inappropriate behaviours in the military, the lack of trust in the Service complaints system and the Service Justice System, is that any crimes involving harassment or assault of a sexual nature should automatically fall under the civilian jurisdiction.
This view is thoroughly supported in the evidence gathered by, and recommendations made in, the Lyons, Wigston, and Atherton reports.
In our Manifesto for Injured people, we have also gone further and suggested sexual harassment and image-based sexual abuse – or ‘revenge porn’ – should be added to the list of offences which should be automatically removed from the military’s jurisdiction.
Under the current system, Service personnel are not being given the same access to justice as civilians. Our Servicewomen deserve better.
This blog is part of our #ChampioningChange Campaign, specifically, Bolt Burdon Kemp LLP’s 2024 Manifesto for Injured People. In this campaign we call for politicians and candidates to prioritise injured people as they go into the 2024 General Election. This work is informed by our clients’ experiences and our partnerships with charities which support our clients and others like them. If you would like to read more about our full manifesto you can do so here.
