Female army officer cadet, 21, who was found hanged at Sandhurst had fallen victim to ‘gross sexual misconduct’ at the hands of senior officers, inquest hears

• Olivia Perks, 21, was found hanged at Sandhurst on February 6, 2019
• Sexual misconduct was ‘clearly something on Olivia’s mind’ before her death 
• Read: Sandhurst instructors had 19 flings with cadets before one took their life
• For help, call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org 

A 21-year-old female army officer cadet who was found hanged at Sandhurst had fallen victim to ‘gross sexual misconduct’ at the hands of senior officers, an inquest heard. 

Olivia Perks was discovered dead at the elite military training school in Berkshire on February 6, 2019.

Sexual misconduct allegedly perpetuated against her was ‘clearly’ on her mind before she died, a pre-inquest review in Reading was told today. 

Mike Rawlinson, representing Ms Perks’ mother Louise Townsend, said: ‘Her family are of course very concerned about sexual misconduct committed against her by senior military officers.

Olivia Perks, 21, was found dead in her room in February 2019 after experiencing ‘gross sexual misconduct’ at the hands of senior officers

‘It was clearly something on Olivia’s mind in her last few days.

‘We would seek to put questions to witnesses…out of our concern there was gross sexual misconduct by senior officers towards her.’

Ms Perks had also made a ‘significant’ suicide attempt before she died during a Royal Engineers visit, and a ‘series of red flags’ about her mental health had been raised, the hearing was told.

Lawyers representing two sergeants who are ‘interested parties’ in proceedings, named only as Colour Sergeant Griffith and Staff Sergeant Easingwood – a Sergeant at the time – appeared at the hearing.

Intimate relationships between staff and trainees were strictly forbidden at Sandhurst (pictured) – but a 300-page report suggested instructors frequently flaunted the rules

The nature of their relationship to the young woman was not disclosed.

Edward Pleeth, representing the Ministry of Defence, said one more person may become an interested party before the full hearing.

The coroner added that the ‘management of Olivia’s alcohol consumption’ would need to be considered within the scope of the full inquest.

The full inquest will focus on three events in the run-up to Ms Perks’ death: the Royal Engineers visit; a trip to Normandy; and the Falklands Ball on February 1, 2019.

The full hearing is set to establish her past medical history, previous self-harm and how her suicide risk was managed, as well as the investigation into events following the charity ball and events on the day she died.

Assistant Coroner for Berkshire Alison McCormick told the family she hoped to hold a ‘full, fair and fearless’ inquest which will sit for 15 days between April 24 and May 26.

Ms Perks’ mother attended court and her father Ian Perks appeared remotely.

Another pre-inquest review will be held on a date in March, still to be fixed.

In November last year, it was reported that nineteen banned sexual relationships were taking place between Sandhurst instructors and cadets shortly before the trainee took her life, according to an official report. 

It highlighted the number of flings at the Royal Military Academy in Berkshire as a factor in the death of Ms Perks. 

She was in a secret relationship with an Army gym instructor in the months before her death, it was said. 

Of the 30 trainees in her platoon, five were believed to be having flings with senior colleagues. The other 14 relationships involved staff and cadets from other platoons. 

Source: Read Full Article