Female soldier who was told the British Army is a ‘man’s world’ was groped at after party of a St Patrick’s Day parade attended by Prince and Princess of Wales, court martial hears
- Lance Corporal Shane Ritchie allegedly cupped the bottom of colleague
- He denies sexually assaulting the woman at Mons Barracks in Aldershot
A female soldier who was told the British Army is a ‘man’s world’ was groped at the after party of a St Patrick’s Day parade attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales, a court martial heard today.
Lance Corporal Shane Ritchie allegedly cupped the bottom of colleague after sliding his hand down her back at the Irish Guards’ first regimental day celebration since the pandemic.
Earlier in the day, the regiment had welcomed the royal couple – then known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – as guests of honour for a traditional ceremony where Kate had presented sprigs of shamrock to members of the battalion on parade.
However, after the celebrations at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire, in March last year the alleged sexual assault took place, as LCpl Ritchie’s ‘creeping’ hand grabbed the bottom of his fellow soldier.
He denies sexual assaulting the woman, claiming that if any touching did occur, it was accidental and therefore not sexual.
Lance Corporal Shane Ritchie (pictured) allegedly cupped the bottom of his colleague after sliding his hand down her back at the Irish Guards’ regimental day celebration
At Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, (pictured) he denies sexual assaulting the woman, claiming that if any touching did occur, it was accidental and not sexual
Opening the case at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, prosecutor Captain Daniel Lawlor, said: ‘On March 17th last year, the complainant attended a St Patrick’s day function at a bar at Mons Barracks.
‘At the bar she was introduced to [the defendant].
‘The complainant will tell the court that as she was standing she felt someone touching her from behind – down her shoulder, on her back and down.
‘The two had a verbal interaction and she confronted him for grabbing her bottom.’
Capt Lawlor told the court a witness heard the woman say ‘get off me’ or words to that effect, before pushing LCpl Ritchie in the chest to get him away from her.
Giving evidence, the female soldier – who cannot be named for legal reasons – said she had been introduced to LCpl Ritchie at the St Patrick’s Day celebration.
She continued: ‘He was really drunk.
‘He looked like he couldn’t really stand up properly, couldn’t really focus his eyes on anything and when he spoke, he slurred his words.
‘After I shook his hand, he said ‘I’ve got a missus’ but I wasn’t interested, so I left.’
A witness heard the woman say ‘get off me’ or words to that effect, before pushing LCpl Ritchie in the chest to get him away from her at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire (pictured)
She told the court she returned to some nearby sofas in the room to talk to a friend, when she felt the alleged sexual assault take place.
‘I felt someone come behind me and put a hand on on my shoulder, slide their hand creeping down my back and then I felt them cup my bum,’ she said.
‘As soon as I felt that, I turned to the side and saw it was [LCpl Ritchie] and just pushed him away.
‘I said something like ‘get the fuck off me, don’t you dare touch me’.
‘It felt really deliberate, I could feel the pressure. It was a firm touch – a grab.’
The court heard she left the bar with a friend and immediately reported the incident to her chain of command – having texted the Regimental Sergeant Major personally and asked to see him the next week.
When it was put to her that ‘not everyone’ in the Irish Guards – which has only accepted women in full time combat roles since 2018 – was ‘not particularly enlightened or welcoming’ to women – she agreed.
Such were these attitudes, she told the court she was ‘unhappy’ in her unit and considered it a ‘hostile’ environment to work.
The court heard she had been told by a different colleague that ‘the Army is a man’s world’.
The trial continues.
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