It went on for hours: UK women allege rape, sexual abuse at Army teen college

UPDATED: Aug 7, 2026 00:32 IST

Britain's largest military training college for teenagers is under scrutiny after four former female recruits alleged they were raped, sexually assaulted and harassed during their training. According to BBC, the women, who attended the Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, over the past five years, said the incidents took place when they were 17 years old.

Speaking publicly for the first time, they revealed a culture of misogyny, sexual harassment and abuse that shattered their ambitions of serving in the Army.

As per the report, one of the women, identified by the pseudonym "Tilly", alleged she was raped by several fellow junior soldiers after being lured into a room by recruits she believed she could trust.

"They started taking my clothes off and then this led to them doing stuff I didn't consent to. And then I was raped by multiple junior soldiers, same age as me. It went on for hours. I felt like a piece of meat," she told the BBC.

She left the Army within two weeks of the alleged attack. She later reported the incident to police, but no charges were brought. The BBC reported that the Crown Prosecution Service later said the police investigation was "entirely inadequate". Tilly subsequently reached a financial settlement with North Yorkshire Police, with no admission of liability by the force.

Three other former recruits also recounted allegations of sexual assault and persistent harassment during their time at the college.

One woman alleged she was trapped inside a room and sexually assaulted by another trainee. Another, whose mother spoke on her behalf, was allegedly subjected to repeated harassment and said she feared male recruits entering her room because its door lock was broken. A fourth former recruit alleged that misogynistic remarks by some instructors contributed to a hostile environment for female trainees.

POLICE, MOD FIGURES REVEAL SCALE OF COMPLAINTS

The BBC also cited data which shows the allegations are not isolated. According to a Freedom of Information response obtained by the broadcaster, North Yorkshire Police received 16 reports of sexual offences linked to the college in the year to June. The reported offences included allegations of sexual assault, exposure and voyeurism, although the BBC said it was not known how many cases resulted in prosecutions.

Separately, Ministry of Defence data showed that 176 complaints of inappropriate sexual behaviour were recorded at the college between January 2018 and June 2025.

Of those complaints, 144 were made against junior soldiers, while 32 involved permanent staff members.

The Army Foundation College is the UK's largest military training establishment for recruits under the age of 19. It trains all Army recruits who join at the age of 16 and currently has 889 junior soldiers, including around 70 female recruits.

ARMY SAYS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR HAS NO PLACE

Responding to the allegations, an Army spokesperson said the institution encourages anyone who has experienced or witnessed unacceptable behaviour to report it.

"Unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our Armed Forces," the spokesperson said.

"People join in the hope of having a fantastic career and any such reports are unacceptable and go completely against everything the Army stands for."

According to the BBC, the Army said several reforms have been introduced in recent years, including specialist victim support through the Defence Serious Crime Command and measures designed to allow complaints to be handled outside the traditional chain of command.

The Army also pointed to a January 2026 visit by the Children's Commissioner's Office and safeguarding authorities, which it said recognised the college's "culture of care". It added that Ofsted had graded the institution's disciplinary system as "outstanding".

The investigation also adds to broader concerns over the treatment of women within the British military.

A 2021 parliamentary review documented allegations of rape, sexual exploitation of under-18 recruits and failures in the military complaints system. An MoD report published last year found that 67 per cent of women serving in the armed forces reported experiencing at least one form of sexualised behaviour during the previous 12 months, compared with 34 per cent of men.

Another internal review earlier this year concluded that Army training establishments still had "some way to go" before an inclusive culture reached junior ranks, with some female trainees reporting they felt unwelcome and reluctant to report sexual misconduct.

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