UK Government to compel COs to report offences to the Service Police

The Daily Telegraph reports that the UK Government will legislate so that 'officers who cover up rape and sexual assault will be prosecuted'. Rather oddly the article also suggests that legislation will add sexual assault, voyeurism and exposure to the Armed Forces Act 2006. All three offences are offences under the Act by virtue of section 42. All this comes following a series of embarrassing inquests into deaths during training at Deepcut Barracks that have revealed a culture of bullying and sexual assault in the early 1990s and the trial of two Royal Military Policemen alleged to have raped a colleague who later committed suicide. 

It will be interesting to see how HMG ensures such allegations are reported whilst minimising the curtailment of the COs independence. When matters are reported section 42 of the Act ensures prosecutions can follow after review by the independent Service Prosecution Authority. 

Read the article here and details of the Deepcut inquests here. The case involving the RMP can be found here.