Four former female recruits have accused the UK's Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate of fostering a culture of misogyny, sexual harassment and violence, with one woman alleging she was raped by several fellow junior soldiers while she was 17 years old.
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The allegations, revealed in a BBC investigation, relate to incidents over the past five years involving teenage recruits at the Army's main training establishment for under-19s.
The women claimed that sexual assaults, harassment and sexist behaviour were widespread at the college, while official data showed 176 complaints of inappropriate sexual behaviour were recorded between January 2018 and June 2025.
North Yorkshire Police also received 16 reports of sexual offences linked to the college in the year to June. The army described the allegations as "extremely distressing and serious" and insisted such behaviour has "absolutely no place" in the armed forces.
What the victims alleged
One former recruit, identified as Tilly, alleged she was raped by multiple fellow junior soldiers after being invited into a room during training.
"They started taking my clothes off and then this led to them doing stuff I didn't consent to. There were a lot of them. They touched me in places, made inappropriate comments, calling me a thing rather than a girl.
"And then I was raped… by multiple junior soldiers, same age as me. It went on for hours. I felt like a piece of meat."
Tilly left the Army two weeks later, saying she feared she would instead be branded "the girl that shagged loads of people". She reported the alleged rape to police, but no charges were brought. The BBC reported that she later reached a financial settlement with North Yorkshire Police, with no admission of liability.
Another former recruit, Monica, alleged a fellow soldier trapped her inside a room and sexually assaulted her.
"He stood against the door so I couldn't get out. He then pushed himself up against me, started kissing my face and touching me all over. He sexually assaulted me," she said.
"I managed to push him off. I'm not sure how because he's really strong."
A third woman, Amy, was allegedly sexually assaulted and subjected to almost daily sexual harassment. According to her mother Cheryl, the lock on her daughter's room did not work, forcing her to sleep across the doorway to stop male soldiers entering.
A fourth former recruit, Ellie, alleged misogynistic behaviour by instructors helped normalise sexism among male trainees.
She recalled one instructor telling new recruits: "It's all about the pussy and how much of it you can get."
Ellie also alleged instructors rated female recruits' appearances out of 10 and entered girls' dormitories without knocking while they were partially dressed.
Allegations of a toxic culture
The women alleged that sexist attitudes extended beyond fellow recruits to some instructors.
Tilly claimed that after reporting her alleged rape, she heard an instructor saying: "Have you heard about that slag who shagged all those blokes?"
Cheryl also alleged her daughter was repeatedly subjected to misogynistic remarks by staff, including being called a "slag" and a "slapper" and being told she had become the female recruit "the male recruits want".
The report stated that several instructors at the college have been convicted by courts martial in recent years for unrelated sexual offences, although none of the women's allegations were linked to those convictions.
What the army said
Responding to the allegations, an Army spokesperson said: "Unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our Armed Forces."
The army said it encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses unacceptable behaviour to come forward and highlighted reforms including the Defence Serious Crime Command to support victims outside the normal chain of command. It added that a January 2026 visit by safeguarding authorities recognised the college's "culture of care", while Ofsted had rated its discipline system "outstanding".
The Army maintained AFC remains committed to providing a "professional, supportive, and safe environment for all recruits".
