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09
Jun 2023
UN report questions Harrogate army college's recruitment of 'child soldiers'
The United Nations has called for the army enlistment age to be raised to 18 — which would have significant implications for Harrogate's Army Foundation College.
The recommendation was contained in a report published this week by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The committee cited multiple concerns over children’s rights and welfare in the British armed forces and urged the government to investigate all forms of abuse against children in the armed forces.
The Harrogate college, which trains junior soldiers aged 16 and 17, has been hit by a spate of recent allegations of abuse and bullying.
The UN committee heard evidence that, in 2021 alone, investigations were opened into the sexual abuse of 22 recruits at the college.
Jim Patrick Wyke, campaigns coordinator at the campaign group Child Rights International Network, called on the government to end recruitment at 16 in light of the evidence.
He said:
Read more:
- Parents call for Harrogate army college to be closed after abuse claims
- Harrogate Army Foundation College instructor demoted for punching teenage soldiers
- Former Harrogate Army Foundation College instructor sentenced for sex assault
The Stray Ferret approached the British Army for a response and to ask what the implications would be on the college if the age was raised.
A MOD spokesperson said:
Last month, a government minister told the House of Lords that the Ministry Of Defence introduced new policies to deal with sexual offences, which had helped to improve the situation at the college.
Baroness Goldie, a minister in the MOD, said that the Army Foundation College had a “much improved climate” since 2021.
She said:
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