Female soldier who was groped by colleague at an Army Christmas party slams bosses for giving her attacker regular welfare checks but only calling her once as she reveals incident has left her tormented by ’embarrassment and shame’

A female soldier who was groped by a colleague at an Army Christmas party has hit out at her bosses for giving regular welfare calls to her harasser despite only calling her once.

The servicewoman was left tormented by ’embarrassment and shame’ after Lance Corporal Callum Brandrick sneaked up behind her and cupped her breasts.

She told a military court that the attack by LCpl Brandrick had caused her to put ‘her life on hold’ before criticising the Ministry of Defence for failing to check in with her regularly. 

The Lance Corporal has now been dismissed from the Army at Bulford Court Military in Wiltshire, with a judge ruling he showed a ‘sense of entitlement’ and ‘disregard of consent’ towards the female soldier.

It comes as a landmark report found that nearly two thirds of women in the armed forces have experienced bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination.  

A servicewoman was left tormented by ’embarrassment and shame’ after Lance Corporal Callum Brandrick (pictured) sneaked up behind her and cupped her breasts

The Lance Corporal has now been dismissed from the Army at Bulford Court Military (pictured) in Wiltshire, with a judge ruling he showed a ‘sense of entitlement’

Lieutenant Commander Jamie Brotherton, prosecuting, said the assault happened during an Army Christmas party in Bulford Barracks, Wiltshire. 

Lt Cdr Brotherton said: ‘She was of the view that he was drunk because he had fallen into the Christmas tree.

‘Out of nowhere, [LCpl Brandrick] came up behind her, put both of his hands onto her arms and placed his hands on her breasts and made a cupping motion.’

The female soldier – who can’t be named for legal reasons – pushed the attacker away and another colleague saw LCpl Brandrick ‘fall backwards’.

The following day, the soldier told LCpl Brandrick he had groped her, so he apologised to his victim.

READ MORE: Female soldier who was raped by Army sergeant after late night party reveals how nightmare ordeal left her feeling suicidal and slams bosses for ‘never treating her as a victim’ after attack in her room

Lt Cdr Brotherton added: ‘This incident did cause mental damage to the victim. It caused her embarrassment and shame and this is still ongoing.’

In a victim impact statement read to Bulford Military Court, the servicewoman criticised how the armed forces dealt with the incident.

The woman added: ‘After the report, I only received one phone call while I believe the defendant had regular calls to check on his welfare. I was not interviewed by the service police until two months after the incident.’

The female soldier said she fears she will be forever known as ‘the girl that got groped’.

Discussing the impact of the incident, she added: ‘This assault has taken away the joyful, bubbly young woman that everyone knew me for. I feel like the offender only had to worry about his reputation.’

In the statement, she said: ‘The embarrassment and shame this had on me is still extreme.

‘I feel like my independence is none. My life has been on hold since the incident.’

Christopher Pix, mitigating, said LCpl Brandrick ‘had shown remorse from the day after the incident when he was told what had happened’.

LCpl Brandrick, of The Rifles, admitted a single charge of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind and was dismissed from the Army.

During the sentencing, Judge Advocate General Darren Reed: ‘Your offence has clearly had an impact on [the victim].

‘We know this was an incident involving you placing your hands on the breasts of a female in a public place.

‘You made a female soldier feel unsafe in their workplace. You demonstrated a sense of entitlement and disregard of consent.’

Judge Reed added: ‘Your behaviour is simply not consistent with continuing service in the forces. This offence warrants dismissal.’

Judge Reed also ordered LCpl Brandrick to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work, 30 days of rehabilitative activities and 90 days of alcohol abstinence monitoring.

Asked to comment on the victim’s claims about the lack of support she said she received, an Army Spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that Lance Corporal Callum Brandrick was found guilty of a sexual offence at Bulford Military Court Centre.

‘He was sentenced to dismissal from the Service and given an 18 month Service Community Order.’

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