British army officers face court martial over Jaysley Beck sexual assault case

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Jamie GriersonJanuary 30, 2026 at 08:54 AM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

Two British army officers, Major James Hook and Colonel Samantha Shepherd, will face court martial for offences relating to military discipline following the sexual assault and subsequent suicide of teenage soldier Jaysley Beck. Beck, a Royal Artillery Gunner, was assaulted by former sergeant major Michael Webber during a training exercise in Hampshire in July 2021. Webber, who has since left the army, was imprisoned in October for the assault. The charges against Hook and Shepherd stem from their handling of Beck's case after she reported the assault. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the charges, which fall under Section 19 of the Armed Forces Act, and stated that further comment would be inappropriate due to ongoing legal proceedings.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Ministry of Defence ×240% Maj James Hook 50% Col Samantha Shepherd 50% Michael Webber ×260% Jaysley Beck ×470%

Keywords

sexual assault 90% british army 80% court martial 70% jaysley beck 70% military discipline 60% armed forces act 50% service prosecuting authority 50% suicide 40% violence against women 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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sexual assault british army court martial jaysley beck military discipline armed forces act service prosecuting authority suicide violence against women

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