‘I was sexually assaulted in uniform. I can’t get over it’

25 Nov 2021

Joanna was still at school when she was accepted by the Royal Navy. She “aced” the application, was offered a bursary and chose her A-levels based on what she wanted to specialise in. She began at officer level alongside her male peers, who were mostly graduates. “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.

For years sexual abuse in the armed forces has gone unreported. Now in the wake of #MeToo, shocking allegations including rape are surfacing in the military.…