Hundreds of British paratroopers were banned from a NATO deployment after videos of an orgy with a civilian woman appeared in barracks with some soldiers watching, according to reports.
Eight paratroopers serving in the 16th UK Air Assault Brigade were under police investigation for a video of them having sex with a civilian woman who had sneaked into the Merville barracks in Colchester, it was revealed earlier of this month.
The woman had sneaked into the barracks up to 31 times in the past five months, according to The Times of London.
Hundreds of British troops were banned from NATO deployment after indecent sexual acts came to light. Sgt Jonathan Lee van Zyl
The new head of the British army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, told his generals and officers in command in a letter that he would not “risk the mission or reputation of the British army” by sending troops abroad. reported The Times.
Although military police eventually determined that no crime had been committed, Sanders said in the letter that the incident may have appeared to “denigrate women” and went against military values.
“My message to the military is clear: our license to operate is based on trust and we must meet the highest standards,” Sanders wrote. He added that “this behavior is unacceptable, corrosive and detrimental to the reputation of the military,” according to The Times.
General Sir Patrick Sanders told his commanding generals and officers in a letter that he would not “risk the mission or reputation of the British army” by sending troops abroad. Matt Cardy / Getty Images General Patrick Sanders said in a letter that the incident may have seemed to “denigrate women” and went against military values. Matt Cardy / Getty Images
“I am not prepared to risk the NATO mission or the reputation of the British Army deploying 3 Para at this time.”
The news of the orgy follows a series of incidents during an exercise in Northern Macedonia in May, when several soldiers were accused of “unprofessional behavior” during the exercise.