BY STEPHEN STEWART s.stewart@dailyrecord.co.uk A GRIEVING mum and dad who believe their son was murdered during an RAF initiation ceremony claim a bullying epidemic has caused carnage across the Armed Forces.
Susan Fleeting – whose son Robert, 24, from East Kilbride, died at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, in 2011 – attacked defence chiefs as they launched an unprecedented probe into harassment in the military.
In a furious letter to Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, she said bullying was an “open, dirty secret” in the forces, with defence chiefs “sweeping uncomfortable truths under the carpet in order to bolster a good PR image” .
The head of the British Army issued a stark warning to troops last week that he will not tolerate violent or sexual criminal behaviour after “a series of exceptionally serious allegations” against soldiers.
In an outspoken broadcast, Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, said criminality among servicemen is “downright unacceptable” and “damaged the reputation” of the Army.
That warning came after it emerged six soldiers were arrested by military police over allegations of a sexual assault on a 17-year-old female soldier.
In an emotional letter to Williamson, Susan wrote: “Our son was our life, our love.
“We have had our lives ripped apart when he died.
“We have to keep going for his sake and for the rest of our family but we will not rest while bullying continues on this massive scale.”
An inquest in 2012 ruled that Susan’s son Robert was struggling with his sexuality and took his life after consensual sex with a man.
But the family of Senior Aircraftman Fleeting, who died in September 2011, have campaigned for years to get to the truth, claiming there was a cover-up to make it look like suicide.
Susan and husband Charles, who is an Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders veteran, believe Robert was killed to cover up a botched initiation ceremony.
She wrote: “We still don’t feel we have had the truth about Robert’s death. We believe he was murdered on that base.
“We know that these initiations take place and believe Robert’s death is the tip of the iceberg.
“Bullying and harassment are rife in the Armed Forces. That sad fact is a national disgrace.
“The recent allegations about the assault of a female soldier show nothing has changed and words are not enough – service personnel, their families
TRAGEDY Robert died in 2011. An inquest ruled he killed himself, which his parents do not believe is true
Dear Mr Williamson, dirty secret in the Forces while officials are too defence busy sweeping uncomfortable truths under the order to bolster carpet in a good PR image recruit and retain to try t people. The Government has a moral, political and social duty to keep our troops and ensure their safe conduct is held highest standards. up to th happening. This clearly isn’t When the Government do its job, people fails to lose their jobs, health and their their lives. Embarrassing, Ministry of Defence failings are kept out of the limelight. has been some Ther progress but it’s too late. too little, The first ever statistics on sexual offences in the military justice system have been published and allegations sexual assault of are now meant automatically to be reported to the police rather than military left to a commanding officer to deal with or ignore. We want all military deaths subject inquest with a to a jury. At the moment, is something that a jury most you can request cases it’s denied. but in system We want a fairer where a jury is an automatic give unless the families decide they want waive that right. to Cases of bullying should and harassment be fully investigated with all the proceedings transparent and available to the public. There has been a veil secrecy around of this for far too long. The Armed Forces can no longer behind a curtain hide of “operational and “personnel security security” when how lives are being looking a lost and families being ripped apart. are I AM writing to you in the hope can prevent other that you families from the same ordeal suffering day we have had to for the last face every eight years. Our our life, our love. son was We had our lives ripped apart when died. He was taken he from us and we keep going for have to his sake and for our family but the rest of we will not rest bullying in the while Forces continues massive scale. on such a We still don’t feel about we have had the Robert’s death. truth murdered We believe on that he was base. We know these initiations that take place and Robert’s death believe is the tip of the iceberg. Bullying and harassment are rife in the Armed Forces. That sad fact is a national disgrace. The recent allegations about assault of a female the soldier show that nothing has changed and words are enough – service not personnel, their and the whole families country need empty words. action, not As a father, we are appealing to act now before you to more sons and are torn from their daughters loved ones. Please don’t let your latest meaningless review become paper a exercise designed divert attention to from negative As a family who publicity. have been affected tragic death within by a first-hand the military, we experience have families of the treatment receive and the that is lack of out there. support Servicemen and women’s rights as important as are just civilians’. It’s the deserve. Time least they and time again, witnessed the we have Ministry of Defence people down – let from the Snatch Rover families Land to the parents of young recruits who died at Deepcut barracks. Bullying and harassment are an open,
PRIDE Susan and Charles with Robert
Gavin Williamson