Anne-Marie Ellement: MoD urged to review care of vulnerable soldiers

Off By Sharon Black

Coroner says bullying, the mental effects of an alleged rape and work-related despair drove Ellement to kill herself

A coroner has called on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to review its care for vulnerable soldiers after he ruled that bullying, the “lingering” mental effects of an alleged rape, “work-related despair” and a relationship breakup were all factors in the death of a soldier who took her own life in an army barracks.

Delivering a finding of suicide, Nicholas Rheinberg concluded that Corporal Anne-Marie Ellement hanged herself at Bulford Barracks in Wiltshire, two years after she alleged that two soldiers raped her while she was stationed in Germany.

But Rheinberg said at the inquest in Salisbury that, although the care given to Ellement in the aftermath of the allegation had been of “high quality”, the transfer of information when she returned to the UK had been “unforgivably bad”.

He said he would be recommending to the MoD that it review its suicide vulnerability risk assessment procedures and ensure that medical personnel are regularly given refresher training.

More details to follow…

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