The chief executive of Salute Her UK, a charity organisation working to assist military women who have experienced sexual assault, Paula Edwards said that victims are being “overdiagnosed or misdiagnosed” to get rid of the problem.

The chief executive of Salute Her UK, a charity organisation working to assist military women who have experienced sexual assault, Paula Edwards said that victims are being “overdiagnosed or misdiagnosed” to get rid of the problem.

Paula said: “The project will empower the women while giving them the opportunity to create a blueprint for the kind of services that would best help them adjust to civilian life.”

“The military will become an even more toxic and insidious place for women to serve.” - Paula Edwards

“Since the inquiry started, Salute Her UK – the only female specific veterans’ charity in a sea of 1,800 other veteran charities – accepted our referrals for serving women and veterans who were suicidal, re-traumatised and in need of immediate support, …”

The chief executive of Salute Her UK, a charity organisation working to assist military women who have experienced sexual assault, Paula Edwards said that victims are being “overdiagnosed or misdiagnosed” to get rid of the problem.

A woman is raped so she goes to DCMH. She's understandably all over the place. She might be suicidal.

'But instead of the medical practitioner seeing it as post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], they diagnose her with personality disorder.'

Hundreds traumatised by sexual assault claim that military doctors gave them wrong diagnosis before being discharged.

Salute Her UK, a charity that supports female military personnel who have been sexual assaulted or raped, has called on army chiefs and the Ministry of Defence to confront predatory behaviour at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. It also claims that there is an “epidemic” of rape culture across the military.

Referring to a recent case of a female cadet at Sandhurst, Ms Edwards added: 'She ended up withdrawing her allegation because being questioned about [the abuse] was so traumatising. I can think of at least five other stand-out cases at Sandhurst in the last couple of years…

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is being urged to tackle a “toxic culture” of sexual assault, with a charity saying hundreds of servicewomen had reported abuse during their training...

“When women are deployed, it’s really noticeable that they have many, many challenges,” said Paula Edwards, a counsellor and expert in military mental health from Salute Her. “UTIs, periods, and thrush – those kinds of health issues that impact women specifically – are a massive problem,” she added.

Another said: "I reported it and the (SIB) picked it up. The case was dropped a year later, the two witnesses wouldn't get involved and said they weren't there.

"I was treated like I had made the whole thing up and was betrayed. I hated myself and decided to leave after telling my girlfriend everything."

“Because I had just left school, it was a lot easier for me just to take orders, toe the line, and they treated me like their kid sister. So they all just really looked after me.” Her shipmates became “family” and for a decade she flourished.”

The 30-year veteran said life in the military could be “very good, and it’s a wonderful place to work.” But she added that military service could become “a very hostile environment for those who do find themselves in a vulnerable position”.