Shocking new figures show that more than 300 instructors in British Army training establishments have been court–martialled or faced severe disciplinary action for abusing recruits, theft, and drug–taking. The figures, released in a freedom of information (FOI) request obtained by the Mail on Sunday, show how soldiers tasked with training new troops have been accused of violence and sickening initiation ceremonies.

British Army recruits can be as young as 16, meaning they remain classed as children while in training, with instructors often handpicked for the role due to their experience and competence. However the figures detail serious cases of abuse, including kicking, punching, verbal tirades and child pornography. The bulk of the offences are understood to have taken place at the Army Foundation College Harrogate, where 16–year–old recruits are trained.

Other sites including Army Training Centre Pirbright, Army Training Regiment Winchester and Infantry Training Centre Catterick have also seen offences recorded between 2015 and 2025.

The disclosure has been described as ‘disgusting’ by one former senior officer.

Philip Ingram, a former Army Colonel and Intelligence Officer, told the Mail on Sunday: “These figures show that there has been a systemic abuse of recruits for many years, and it is disgusting. 

“The military keeps saying they have dealt with inappropriate behaviours across the services, but reality tells a different story. 

“It’s time the military stops marking its own homework and that there is a truly independent body that can investigate claims of inappropriate behaviour and ensure the policies that are brought in to stop it are being properly implemented because at the moment they aren’t.”

In another FOI, it was revealed that more than 186 recruits have self–harmed whilst in basic training.

The revelations come in the week that it was revealed that two British Army instructors who had sex with a teenage recruit have been jailed and sacked from the military.

Lance Sergeant Antony Pugh, 36, and Sergeant Connor Forgan, 32, boasted to each other about their sexual relations with the 17-year-old trainee.

A court martial in Bulford, Wiltshire, heard the two men each formed separate sexual relationships with the recruit, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Pugh and Forgan were instructors at the infantry training centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire, where the offending took place.

They had both denied a charge of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust but were convicted by a court martial board following a trial last year.

The court heard that Pugh, a member of the Grenadier Guards, and Forgan, who served with the Welsh Guards, were both veterans of the conflict in Afghanistan

Commander Edward Hannah, prosecuting, told the court: “She has chosen not to provide a victim personal statement, and she wishes to move on from these matters.”

Cmdr Hannah said both defendants had shown degrees of planning in committing the offences and that they were in positions of trust owing to their rank.

“The hierarchal structure of the military places power with rank, especially in a training facility,” he said.

In a separate case, it was announced that two senior officers were facing court-martial for their action in the handling of a complaint by a female soldier who took her own life after being sexually assaulted by a superior.

An MOD spokesperson said: “There is no place for bullying, harassment, discrimination, or abuse within Defence.

“We actively encourage any personnel who believe they have experienced or witnessed unacceptable behaviour to report it. All allegations of unacceptable behaviour are taken extremely seriously and are thoroughly investigated. If proven, swift action will be taken.

“We are addressing issues of harassment, discrimination, and abuse systematically through the Raising Our Standards (ROS) program – which seeks to tackle unacceptable behaviours, strengthen complaints processes, and promote a culture of respect and accountability.”