'Culture change' in the armed forces needed after sexual abuse claims at Army Foundation College in Harrogate

Defence secretary Wes Streeting says he will be “looking in detail” at the allegations of sexual assaults at Army Foundation College in Harrogate and how to bring change.

Mr Streeting said he was “absolutely sickened” by the allegations of sexual assaults on young female army recruits and would be looking into how to lead a broad programme of "culture change” in the armed forces.

“I’m absolutely sickened by the reports that we’ve seen, and my heart goes out to this courageous woman who’s spoken up, having been so badly failed,” the defence minister said during a visit to Rosyth Shipyard in Scotland on Friday.

“We have a duty to uphold the very highest standards in uniform and to treat every woman with the dignity and respect she deserves,” he added.

A total of 176 complaints of inappropriate sexual behaviour at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate were made between January 2018 and June 2025, according to Ministry of Defence (MoD) data.

The issue made national headlines last week when four women told the BBC they were sexually assaulted and harassed while attending the college, describing a “culture of misogyny and sexual violence”.

In response, politicians at Westminster joined Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon in is calling for an independent inquiry into the allegations.

Wes Streeting MP, who was appointed defence secretary by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham when he formed his first cabinet, paid tribute to the courage of those who had spoken up and said he was committed to bringing the changes required.

He said: “I gather that there have been some improvements since this case came to light, but I need to assure myself that we’re doing everything we can to deliver the culture change that’s needed so that everyone in the uniform upholds the standards that we would expect.”