TWO officers are to face a court martial over the assault of a young soldier who killed herself five months after she was attacked.

Gunner Jaysley Beck’s family have spoken out about the “exhausting” fight for change within the army after it was announced today that the senior officers were to face a court martial.

Major James Hook and Colonel Samantha Shepherd are to be investigated over their conduct after an inquest into Ms Beck’s death found the assault and the army’s inaction to have “more than minimally” led to her demise.

The 19-year-old was found hanged in her barracks in Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire in 2021, five months after a senior non-commissioned officer sexually assaulted her.

A battery sergeant major in the Royal Artillery at the time, Michael Webber, 43, was jailed for six months after he pleaded guilty to the attack.

He engaged Ms Beck in a drinking game before touching her inappropriately and attempting to kiss her. She later made a complaint to her superiors after which the army did not report the attack to the police.

Mr Webber reportedly wrote her an apology letter and was later promoted.  

The Ministry of Defence said two officers were charged on offences relating to “conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline” without confirming their identity.

A spokesman said it would not be appropriate to comment further because legal proceedings were underway.

Ms Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, said her family wrote to the Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker following the inquest.

The letter highlighted concerns including how “multiple army failings in the chain of command” led to her daughter’s death.

Ms McCready said her family was “relieved [to] finally have reached this stage today where two individuals have been charged.”

She added: “We remain very unhappy with other parts of the army’s response.

“We were promised a new independent complaints process for service people — especially young women like Jaysley who often have to deal with very difficult and challenging situations — we have heard nothing further about this and as far as we can tell, young women are still not benefiting from it, almost a year on from the inquest and more than four years on from Jaysley’s death.

“We feel constantly as though we have to push the army to change and it is completely exhausting.”