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<p>The Ministry of Defence has made it absolutely clear there is no place for unacceptable
behaviour in the Armed Forces. We recognise the great courage it takes to come forward
and report a sexual offence and Commanding Officers must always refer any allegation
of rape and sexual assault, or any other offence which may have a sexual element,
to the Service Police. All allegations are thoroughly investigated, and support provided
to victims.</p><p> </p><p>Anyone found to fall short of the Services’ high standards
or to have committed an offence is dealt with appropriately, which may include imprisonment
and dismissal from service.</p><p> </p><p>Starting from 2016, Defence has published
an annual Official Statistic on Sexual Offending in the Service Justice System, currently
covering the years 2015 to 2019: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sexual-offences-in-the-service-justice-system"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sexual-offences-in-the-service-justice-system</a></p><p>Information
for 2020 is due to be published in spring 2021. The following table provides a summary
of those statistics, covering all sexual offending in the Service Justice System:</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>No.
of Individuals Court Martialled (Sexual Offences)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>No.
of Defendants Not Guilty</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>No. of Defendants Guilty</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>59</p></td><td><p>42</p></td><td><p>17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>55</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>80</p></td><td><p>57</p></td><td><p>29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p>22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>24</p></td><td><p>21</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>Table
notes</strong>: Sexual offences as defined within sections 1 to 3, 5 to 15A, 16 to
25, 66 and 67 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (or its historical equivalent) and section
15 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956.</p><p> </p><p>The total number of individuals
Court Martialled for sexual offences will not always equal the sum of the guilty and
not guilty in each year as some cases were discontinued. Also, some defendants faced
more than one charge and each of these charges will have a guilty/not guilty count
in the corresponding column, resulting in more verdicts than defendants in some cases.</p><p>
</p><p>Comparable information for the years 2010 to 2014 has not been published as
an Official Statistic, but information held by the Service Police covering rape and
sexual assault cases and convictions in the Military Court Service between 2010 –
2013 has been published in answer to a Parliamentary Question:</p><p><a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140407/text/140407w0003.htm"
target="_blank">https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140407/text/140407w0003.htm</a></p>
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