Calls are growing for an independent inquiry into the Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, following serious allegations of rape and sexual abuse against female recruits. Four young women told the they were sexually assaulted and harassed while attending the institution.
The women described a culture of misogyny and sexual violence at the college, which they all attended when they were 17. These accounts have raised significant concerns regarding the safety and oversight of the residential training environment provided for teenagers.
Sarah Atherton, former MP for Wrexham, stated that public confidence in the college could “only be restored through an independent inquiry.” Echoing these concerns, MP Emma Lewell-Buck remarked: “If this was any other school or residential environment for children, it would have been closed down.”
