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A former Army sergeant major has been sentenced to half a year in prison for committing sexual assault against a 19-year-old soldier who afterwards died by suicide.

Sergeant Major the former sergeant, forty-three, held down service member Jaysley Beck and attempted to force a kiss on her in mid-2021. She was located without signs of life half a year following in her quarters at Larkhill military installation.

The convicted individual, who was given his punishment at the Court Martial Centre in the Wiltshire region earlier, will be transferred to a public jail and registered as sex offenders register for a seven-year period.

The family matriarch the mother remarked: "His actions, and how the Army neglected to defend our young woman afterwards, cost Jaysley her life."

Army Statement

The Army acknowledged it ignored Gunner Beck, who was hailing from Oxen Park in Cumbria, when she disclosed the incident and has expressed regret for its handling of her complaint.

Subsequent to an inquest into Gunner Beck's death, Webber admitted to a single charge of physical violation in September.

The grieving parent stated her daughter could have been alongside her loved ones in the courtroom now, "to witness the person she reported brought to justice for his actions."

"Rather, we stand here missing her, living a life sentence that no relatives should be forced to endure," she continued.

"She adhered to protocols, but the individuals in charge didn't follow theirs. These shortcomings shattered our child completely."

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Court Proceedings

The legal tribunal was informed that the incident took place during an adventure training exercise at the exercise site, near Hampshire's Emsworth, in summer 2021.

The accused, a Sergeant Major at the moment, attempted physical intimacy towards the soldier following an social gathering while on assignment for a field training.

Gunner Beck testified the accused said he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be alone" before grabbing her leg, restraining her, and making unwanted advances.

She made official allegations against Webber following the assault, notwithstanding efforts by superiors to discourage her.

A formal investigation into her death found the Army's handling of the complaint played "more than a minimal contributing factor in her death."

Parent's Account

In a testimony presented to the judicial body previously, the mother, said: "She had only become 19 and will forever remain a youth full of life and laughter."

"She trusted people to protect her and following the assault, the confidence was gone. She was extremely troubled and terrified of the sergeant."

"I witnessed the transformation before my own eyes. She felt powerless and betrayed. That incident shattered her trust in the structure that was intended to safeguard her."

Judge's Statement

During sentencing, The presiding judge the magistrate said: "We must evaluate whether it can be addressed in a different manner. We are not convinced it can."

"We have determined the gravity of the crime means it can only be addressed by prison time."

He told the convicted individual: "The victim had the courage and good sense to instruct you to cease and instructed you to retire for the night, but you carried on to the point she believed she could not feel secure from you even when she retreated to her assigned barracks."

He continued: "The next morning, she disclosed the assault to her loved ones, her friends and her chain of command."

"Following the report, the command chose to handle the situation with minimal consequences."

"You underwent questioning and you acknowledged your actions had been unacceptable. You wrote a written apology."

"Your military service proceeded completely unaffected and you were eventually promoted to senior position."

Further Details

At the investigation into the tragic passing, the official examiner said military leadership influenced her to cease proceedings, and merely disclosed it to a higher command "after information had leaked."

At the time, the accused was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no serious repercussions.

The investigation was also told that mere weeks after the incident the soldier had further been facing "continuous bullying" by a different service member.

A separate service member, her commanding individual, sent her numerous text messages declaring attachments for her, accompanied by a multi-page "personal account" outlining his "imagined scenarios."

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Organizational Reaction

The armed forces stated it provided its "heartfelt apologies" to the servicewoman and her loved ones.

"We continue to be sincerely regretful for the failings that were discovered at the official inquiry in February."

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