The head of the Royal Navy has issued an unreserved apology for “intolerable” misogyny in the Submarine Service, after a series of investigations across the navy exposed sexual harassment, bullying and assault of women within its ranks.
First Sea Lord Adm Sir Ben Key said he was “truly sorry” to the women who had suffered “misogyny, bullying and other unacceptable behaviours” while serving their country. “We must be better than this and do better than we have,” he said.
The long-awaited findings from an investigation into sexual harassment and abuse onboard the UK’s nuclear-armed submarines come almost two years after a whistleblower described a “constant campaign of sexual bullying” during her time in the elite Submarine Service.
Three navy personnel have been sacked and a fourth disciplined as a result of the investigation into complaints brought by Sophie Brook, who became one of the first women to be allowed to serve in the Submarine Service in 2014 and made history when she became its first female warfare officer.
In October 2022 she spoke out about sustained and aggressive sexual harassment during her time in the navy, which she said resulted in her self-harming to the extent that on one occasion she required stitches.
Brook’s story, which was first published by the Daily Mail, led to a number of other women, who make up just over 10% of the service, to come forward. The Guardian understands that the navy has carried out 28 investigations into sexual misconduct and unacceptable behaviour in the past two years, resulting in 18 personnel being sacked, four demoted and six disciplined.
Brook said submariners had simulated sex acts on her, left naked pictures of models in her cabin and told her she was on a “crush death rape list” if the submarine got into trouble. She described one crew mate attempting to distract her from her duty on the submarine’s periscope by putting his penis in her pocket and being punched in the kidneys if she took her eyes off the mast.
She said another more senior officer had disturbed her from her sleep by climbing on her bed and trying to kiss her.
Some of the allegations Brook made were reported to the Ministry of Defence’s serious crime unit, but the navy said there had been insufficient evidence to bring prosecutions.
An investigation into her case included 71 allegations and found “evidence to prove misogyny, bullying or unacceptable behaviour had occurred among a range of ranks”.
A heavily redacted report published on Friday obscures the detailed conclusions for every allegation.
Allegations of misogyny included:
Senior figures forced juniors to tell them ‘shagging dits’, or personal sexual stories.
“Sniffing”, the practice of following the few women around, was “rife”, with women seen as “legitimate targets”.
“At least” one report of rape.
Those in command forced juniors to show them “sports photos”, compromising pictures of their partners, before allowing them to leave the room.
Women’s underwear going missing.
The report states that some interviewees witnessed or were subject to some of the incidents alleged, but many did not. “When and where such behaviour was witnessed, there was inherently poor leadership and/or lack of reporting at the time for various reasons,” it said.
Key confirmed on Friday that Brook would receive “redress” for the harm she had suffered. “When I met with Ms Brook this morning, I apologised to her personally and unreservedly, praising her courage in coming forward,” he said.
Brook told Sky News she was still concerned about the navy’s commitment to change. “It is my hope that this report is not just a token gesture but a starting point for real substantive change,” she said. “I came forward not just to see justice for myself but to shine a light on a culture that for too long has been permitted to thrive within some of the most elite branches of the armed forces.”
The navy said progress in tackling misogyny had been made, and that “poor practices and procedures that were normalised in the past should never have been considered acceptable”.
It said it had created a new head of culture, implemented a policy of zero tolerance, increased welfare checks, given training and made the complaints procedure easier.
The investigation is the latest in a series of scandals related to the treatment of women to have hit the armed forces and the MoD.
Two investigations concluded last year that an unacceptable culture of sexism, harassment and bullying was allowed to flourish at the RAF’s Red Arrows display team. In November, 60 senior women described a “hostile” and “toxic” culture at the MoD in a letter that alleges sexual assault, harassment and abuse by male colleagues.
Diane Allen OBE, a retired lieutenant-colonel from the Independent Defence Authority, a voluntary body that helps victims within the military, accused the MoD of a lack of transparency over the findings of the report.
“We saw this in response to the Red Arrows scandal, and this is more of the same,” she said. “All we have is a vague assurance that things will change, with no transparency and no accountability. It’s like a medieval fiefdom.”
