A court martial is currently examining whether two army officers mishandled a sexual assault allegation made by a teenage soldier, Jaysley Beck, who was 19 at the time and later took her own life. Beck reportedly told Captain Samantha Shepherd that she had been touched on the leg by a warrant officer during a social event at an adventure training exercise in Hampshire in July 2021. However, Shepherd allegedly misrepresented what Beck had told her when she reported the claim, stating that there had not been any physical contact. Meanwhile, Major James Hook, who was in charge of the exercise, allegedly failed to take the incident seriously and was skeptical of Beck’s account, believing she wanted to leave the training program. Hook reportedly gave Beck until noon to decide what she wanted to do, and the court was told he could be seen as "leaning on her" to make a decision. Shepherd and Hook deny "conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline." Shepherd is accused of misreporting what she had been told by Beck, while Hook is alleged to have not treated the information passed to him in a manner "consistent with its seriousness." The case has drawn attention to how military personnel handle allegations of misconduct, particularly involving junior soldiers. Beck was found distressed and sleeping in her car early in the morning by a colleague, Lance Corporal Drew Tudor, who said she told him there had been an incident the night before with a warrant officer, Michael Webber, who was senior in rank to her. Tudor said he was concerned enough to want to report the incident. Shepherd later went for a walk with Beck, who told her that Webber had touched her leg and tried to kiss her. When Shepherd spoke to an adjutant, Major Mae King, about the incident, Shepherd allegedly said there had not been any physical contact. King said her understanding was that no physical contact had occurred and that incidents such as this were "relatively normal." The adjutant, Major Mae King, also said that Webber's wife worked in the same building as her and there was concern about her welfare, but she did not know if the wife knew about what had allegedly happened during the adventure package. She added that it was "not our business to tell her." The assistant judge advocate general, Edward Legard, instructed the court members—an RAF air commodore, navy captain, and army colonel—to set aside any prior knowledge of the case, including that Beck had taken her own life and that there had been significant press interest. Legard also told them not to be influenced by anyone's views, including their chain of command, on the subject of unacceptable sexual behavior in the armed forces. Beck's mother, Leighann McCready, from Cumbria, sat in the front row of the public gallery, holding her daughter's army cap. The trial at Catterick in North Yorkshire continues.