Dolitics: protecting our armed forces

Dolly Theis | Issue 6 | Magazine, Uncategorised

From the Archive

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 05: Members of armed forces march during the Platinum Pageant on June 05, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

There is new and widespread evidence of sexual offences committed against both men and women within the armed forces

“Everyone thinks rape is a women’s issue, I did too, until it happened to me.” In 2021, Forward Assist, a military veterans charity, published its report, “El Hombre Invisible”. It is one of the most painful reports I have ever read. I can barely get through a few pages without feeling my body tighten and experiencing a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. “El Hombre Invisible” includes harrowing stories from 30 male military veterans, revealing sexual abuse, harassment and rape whilst serving in the British Armed Forces. I was already well aware of the similarly horrific experiences of women veterans. I helped promote Forward Assist’s joint 2019 report “No Man’s Land” with Salute Her – a female veterans charity – to politicians in the UK (we received a very lukewarm response). “No Man’s Land” also detailed the sexual offences and silencing experienced by women. Learning about the sexual offences stories from so many men woke me from my lazy assumption that rape is predominantly a...

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