Hundreds of women allege army medical abuse

Hundreds of women who served in the British Army have come forward and alleged they were sexually abused while undergoing medical examinations during recruitment.

Wiltshire Police is carrying out a nationwide investigation relating to medical checks carried out between the 1970s and 2016, which the Ministry of Defence says it is supporting fully.

Defence sources have told the BBC medical examinations at the time were carried out by contracted doctors.

The force said it was yet to identify suspects, but alleged abuse is thought to have taken place at multiple locations.

Military police were first alerted to the allegations and handed the lead on the investigation to Wiltshire Police earlier this year, after the scale of the complaints became clear.

Hundreds of women have already come forward with allegations of sexual abuse while undergoing medical examinations to join the Army.

Wiltshire Police say their enquiries to date have revealed "non-recent" offending spanning several decades at various army locations.

The Ministry of Defence has said it is alarmed by the allegations and praised those who have come forward for their bravery.

The department also urged anyone with more information to contact Wiltshire Police.

It is not yet clear whether this investigation will be expanded to include women who joined the Royal Navy and RAF.