More than 500 report sexual abuse during military medical examinations
- Dignity 4Patients
- Jan 26
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 27
By Sky News - 26.01.2026 - Medical Abuse - [ENGLAND] Detectives are encouraging anyone with information about sexual abuse during military medical examinations to come forward after receiving more than 500 reports.
Wiltshire (uk) Police launched an investigation after recruits alleged they had been abused during medical examinations to join the army.
The force said more than 500 people had now made contact to report incidents between the 1970s and 2016 across Britain.
Police have also heard from serving and former members of the military, as well as people who did not join afterwards.
The investigation has been widened to include medical examinations for the navy and air force.
Detective Superintendent Darren Hannant said: "The number of people who have contacted us highlights the seriousness of the abuse being reported, my team and I are committed to engaging with each survivor and witness.
"We would like to speak to anyone who may have information which can inform our investigation.
"We recognise how difficult it can be to come forward with experiences like these, particularly when they occurred many years ago." He said the scope of the inquiry had widened to include "anyone who has information about concerning behaviour at military medical examinations - including civilians, or those serving in any branch of the armed forces".
"You do not need to be sure whether your experience falls within the scope of this investigation," he said.
"Our team will assess any report and ensure it is handled appropriately.
"Any reports will be treated with the utmost sensitivity; our officers will listen and support you.
"Our team will review every report carefully and in detail." DS Hannant said it may take a few weeks to make contact with those who report an incident due to the volume, but stressed "every report is being taken seriously".
"The information you provide helps us understand what has happened and identify any steps we need to take to safeguard others," he said. Defence minister for veterans and people Louise Sandher-Jones said those "who serve, or seek to serve, our country deserve to be treated with dignity and respect at every stage" and encouraged anyone affected to come forward. "The scale of this response is deeply disturbing, but it highlights the courage of those coming forward to share these distressing experiences, and I want to assure every single person that their voice matters," she said.
"I'm committed to rooting out sexual misconduct wherever we find it and fully support Wiltshire Police as it pursues this investigation with the thoroughness it demands." If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article and were abused in state run medical and health facilities, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm.
Dignity4Patients Commentary: As with all cases of sexual abuse in medical settings, the power dynamics at play between a doctor and a patient can even leave brave soldiers vulnerable to being taken advantage of. Unfortunately, when doctors are not reported immediately and investigated, the number of victims skyrockets, as can be seen with what happened in the USA and the UK army system. Have Ireland's armed forces suffered the same abuses? #StopSexualAbuse #MedicalAbuse #MedicalExaminations #Safeguarding #SystemicFailures
