Mother Says British Army Unsafe for Women After Soldier Daughter's Suicide Post-Assault

Leighann McCready, mother of Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck who died by suicide after being sexually assaulted by Warrant Officer Michael Webber, has strongly warned that the British Army is not safe for young women. Despite Webber's six-month jail sentence for the assault, the military's handling of the complaint—including failure to report it to police and Webber's subsequent promotion—has been widely criticized. McCready, speaking on multiple occasions, emphasized that the Army protects its own rather than recruits and that little has changed to safeguard female soldiers since her daughter's death. An inquest and a service inquiry revealed that Jaysley Beck had experienced multiple inappropriate behaviors by senior personnel prior to her death, further underscoring systemic issues. The family continues to seek justice and push for policy changes to protect vulnerable recruits, highlighting ongoing reports from other young women facing similar issues within the forces. The Army has issued apologies and expressed determination to avoid repeating such mistakes, but critics remain skeptical about the effectiveness of reforms so far.