Police probe ‘sex assault’ by Sandhurst instructor

AN INSTRUCTOR at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst has been arrested by police on suspicion of sexually assaulting a male officer cadet, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Staff Sergeant Michael Wright, 37, has been removed from the British Army academy in Berkshire after an alleged incident which is now the subject of a criminal investigation.

Last night, police confirmed SSgt Wright’s arrest following the alleged sex assault in Guildford, Surrey.

Shortly after the incident is said to have occurred, the alleged victim made a formal complaint to police which led to SSgt Wright’s arrest.

The case is being investigated by civilian police rather than the Royal Military Police because the alleged incident took place outside Army working hours and not on Ministry of Defence (MoD) property. Defence sources said last night that as many as five cadets at Sandhurst, where Princes William and Harry trained, had raised concerns about SSgt Wright’s conduct.

A Surrey Police spokesman said: ‘Following an allegation of a sexual assault in Guildford on Thursday, March 1, a person from Berkshire has been arrested. They have been released from police custody on conditional bail.’

The MoD said it could not comment on the case because of the criminal investigation but stressed that it took misconduct allegations very seriously.

Since his arrest SSgt Wright has been transferred to the Intelligence Corps at Chicksands, Bedfordshire.