Defence news today includes support from Prime Minister Theresa May to stop British troops being hounded through the courts on unfounded claims.
IHAT
Following the Prime Minister's meetings with Britain's Defence chiefs, broadcasters today highlight her view that 'every effort must be made' to stop British troops being hounded on unfounded abuse claims. This is also reflected in the Daily Mail. Several newspapers report on the legal claims made against British soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan on their front pages. Both The Sun and Daily Mail say that more than 1,000 cases are to be scrapped after the closure of PIL. The Telegraph also reports on legal fees.
An MOD spokesperson said:
All those interviewed after caution in IHAT investigations have received publicly-funded legal advice and assistance. If their case is referred to trial, they’re eligible to apply for support and our dedicated legal aid body would contact them to ensure they receive what they are entitled to – the MOD can, in appropriate cases, decide to fund legal support at trial without means testing.
Self-harm statistics
There is coverage in The Mirror, The Telegraph, The Times and Daily Mail of the deliberate self-harm statistics released by the MOD yesterday. Our position can be seen below.
An MOD spokesperson said:
Overall we have seen that those in the military have a lower prevalence of self-harm than the general population, and today's stats show that the groups at risk are broadly the same whether in the armed forces or elsewhere. Through our many anti-stigma efforts, including the ‘Don’t Bottle It Up’ campaign, we encourage anyone with a mental health problem to come forward and get the support they deserve.
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