A teenage female soldier who committed suicide was brutally sexually harassed beforehand by one of her bosses, an Army investigation has found.
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley-Louise Beck, 19, died at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021 after an ‘intense period’ of ‘undesirable behaviour’ from a superior, according to a force investigation report.
Her boss, who is not named in the research paper, sent her as many as 3,500 WhatsApp messages and voicemails in one month in November 2021, a month before she died.
He had reportedly been in a romantic relationship with her, but Gunner Beck, who had a boyfriend, did not return his feelings.
The recruit, often known simply as Jaysley, also raised concerns that her line manager was tracking her movements via her mobile phone and left a hotel where they had both been on business because of his pattern of behaviour.
Gunman Jaysley-Louise Beck took her own life in December 2021 after an ‘intense period’ of unwanted approaches from her boss, according to a report
Royal Artillery Gunner Beck joined the army at 16 and was proud to be a soldier, her family says
Larkhill Barracks near Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. A report into Gunner Beck’s death said a ‘significant minority’ of male soldiers were found to have engaged in sexually inappropriate behaviour
A service research report, which will be published later today, but seen by the BBCsaid her boss’s behavior had ‘taken a significant toll on her mental resilience and wellbeing’.
She was found dead after a party ten days before Christmas.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning, Gunner Beck’s family said the soldier had been reluctant to report her boss’s behaviour, believing her concerns would not be taken seriously.
She had previously reported that she had been sexually assaulted by another superior in the bar of an army training center, which allegedly resulted in a minor sanction and the man being ordered to write a letter of apology.
Her mother Leighann McCready said of reporting the concentrated harassment: “She said, ‘What’s the point, Mom, you’re not being listened to?
“She (thought she) would be seen as a female troublemaker.”
She added the Army’s initial report, which also reportedly claimed family issues played a role in her death, said: “They missed a lot.”
Gunner Beck, from Oxen Park in Cumbria, joined the army at the age of 16 and was proud to be a soldier – but her family say she withdrew into herself as the campaign of harassment by her immediate line manager escalated.
The executive sent her more than 1,000 messages in October 2021, rising to more than 3,500 the following month, shortly before she died.
In a message reportedly seen by the inquiry, she had written: ‘The truth is I’m struggling to cope with all of this.’
Gunner Beck’s family later said she was a ‘loving and caring person who would go out of her way to help anyone who was in a less fortunate position than herself’
Her family later paid tribute to her as she raised money for a charity in her memory, writing: ‘Jaysley is a loving and caring person who goes out of her way to help anyone who is in a less fortunate position than themselves.’
Aspects of the investigation, as reported by the BBC, suggest that inappropriate sexual behavior was ‘commonplace among a significant minority’ of male soldiers at Larkhill, where Gunner Beck was stationed.
In 2022, an army instructor from Larkhill was sacked after buying bottles of vodka and whiskey liqueur for ‘impressionable young recruits’ and asking another to ‘get up and walk’ so he could ‘give her a f*** look’.
It is understood that Gunner Beck’s case is now being investigated by both civilian and military police. The Center for Military Justice, which supports the family, labeled her story as “horrible” in a tweet earlier today.
The British Armed Forces are cracking down on sexual harassment after introducing new ‘zero tolerance’ rules last year.
Ministry of Defense sources insist there is ‘no place’ for sexual harassment and assault in the military, and say efforts are being made to encourage victims to report it.
Soldiers will be punished if they engage in harassment, such as swearing, inappropriate touching, “indecent” comments, winking and “ogling” teammates.
The rules apply to the entire Army, Navy and RAF and come after a historical report of the defense committee found that nearly 62 percent of female service members experienced bullying, harassment and discrimination.
MPs also found that soldiers were more than ten times as likely to experience sexual harassment as their male counterparts.
The report concluded: ‘Other parts of the armed forces’ military culture show it is still a man’s world.’
An Army spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of gunman Jaysley-Louise Beck at this difficult time.
‘The circumstances surrounding Gunner Beck’s death, including the cause, are yet to be determined by the coroner.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further until the coroner’s investigation has been completed.
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