HELL CAMP - Female soldier makes startling claim about life in the JDF

A female soldier who claims to be the victim of several instances of sexual harassment says she is not surprised about the damning allegations that have been made against a senior officer of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

The woman said she had to deal with sexual harassment and abuse from her superiors during her more than decade-long stint in the force. She told THE STAR that on one occasion, a senior officer called her cell phone. When she answered, she heard him making sounds that suggested he was masturbating.

According to the woman, whose identity is being withheld, she was targeted by the particular senior officer who constantly made sexual advances at her. After getting her number through means unknown to her, he began calling her.

“I was laying down in my bunk. Just as I was dosing off my phone rang. I answered my phone and this man was on my phone masturbating and making a whole lot of sexual noise in my ears. I was so frightened I wake up somebody that was laying next to me and I said, ‘Listen to this, listen to this’ and the person tell me that that’s him. I said ‘How you know it’s him?’ And she say ‘Because he do the same thing to me’.”

She said that at another event, the officer told a female colleague to tell her that he wanted to have anal sex with her.

She lamented that though she made regular reports of the harassment she was facing from her male colleagues and superiors, every claim was ignored. She said she was subjected to cruel and unfair treatment because she dared to complain about the harassment she suffered.

The JDF on Monday confirmed that one of its senior officers is being investigated for sexual harassment. More than a dozen persons have made allegations against the high-ranking soldier.

Yesterday, the force said that the officer is being recalled from training overseas “to enable further investigation and the appropriate disciplinary proceedings”.

It is unclear where the JDF has ever investigated the allegations that are being made by the woman. However, the force said it takes the matter of sexual harassment and assault seriously.

Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman, chief of defence staff of the JDF, in a statement yesterday, said she has taken a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment.

“Since taking office in January 2022, I’ve been strident in my stance against any act of sexual harassment involving any service member within the JDF, regardless of their gender. The situation involving multiple reports against the accused is an indication that service members recognise that the JDF is serious about any breach against the Sexual Harassment (Prevention) Policy (whether verbal, non-verbal, physical, written, visual or graphic) which was crafted during my tenure as Force Executive Officer in 2018,” the army head said

She continued: “I am encouraging any service member or civilian that has information with regards to this investigation or any other breach of the sexual harassment policy or any other policy to come forward and make a formal report,” Wemyss Gorman said.