Royal Navy investigates after women come forward with abuse claims

The caput of the Royal Navy has ordered an probe into allegations of bullying and intersexual harassment against women successful the Submarine Service.

Several whistleblowers who served successful the fleet told the Daily Mail they faced mistreatment from each ranks.

Adm Sir Ben Kay, the First Sea Lord, said helium was profoundly disturbed by the "abhorrent" claims.

The behaviour has nary spot successful the Royal Navy and anyone recovered culpable would beryllium held accountable, helium said.

The allegations, revealed successful item by the Mail, see antheral unit members compiling a database mounting retired the bid successful which women would beryllium assaulted successful the lawsuit of a catastrophic event.

One pistillate told the Mail she was sexually assaulted by a antheral of a higher fertile arsenic she slept. She claimed 1 elder serviceman punched her successful the kidney.

She alleged that different near bare pictures of models for her and posted 50p coins into her cabin, suggesting she would execute a intersexual enactment successful return.

Other women alleged they were often asked to execute enactment acts and were often screamed astatine and deed with clipboards and pens.

It is claimed the maltreatment has been happening for much than a decade, aft a prohibition connected pistillate recruits was lifted successful 2011.

The Submarine Service is "unseen and unhindered," according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) website, which says it has "built an enduring estimation for professionalism and courage".

The work includes the Vanguard Class submarines that supply the UK's atomic deterrent.

Responding to the allegations, Sir Ben said: "I privation to reassure our people, and anyone who is speechmaking this, that immoderate enactment which falls abbreviated of the highest of standards the Royal Navy sets itself is wholly unacceptable and not a existent reflection of what work beingness should be.

"These allegations are abhorrent. Sexual battle and harassment has nary spot successful the Royal Navy and volition not beryllium tolerated."

The MoD said that portion astir Navy unit bask rewarding careers, immoderate navy personnel, predominantly women, person been affected by inappropriate sexualised behaviour.

It said it accepted much needs to beryllium done to amended the acquisition of each unit and mechanisms for reporting intersexual offences were being improved.

A bid of incidents wrong the flagship aerial show squad prompted the Chief of the Air Staff to bid an inquiry, which has yet to report.