Closed petition: Require all military sexual assault claims be handled by civilian authorities

Closed on 14 October 2025

We think that responsibility for all sexual assaults should be transferred to civilian authorities.

From Jan 2018-Apr 2024, only 23% of the 93 rape cases heard in military court martials resulted in convictions. This conviction rate is lower than the average 70% conviction rate for rape cases in civilian court.

Government plays a key role to ensure we live in a fair society. Women make up just 11% of the British armed forces and hold only 5% of senior roles. We think this significant underrepresentation contributes to a culture where inappropriate behaviour is often normalised. Unpunished inappropriate behaviour can deter women from wanting to serve in the British forces making it more difficult to attract high calibre candidates.