RAF employee hid in toilet to escape ‘constant’ sexual harassment from boss

A former Royal Air Force employee has told the BBC she locked herself in a work toilet to escape “constant” sexual harassment from her manager.

Grace – not her real name – quit her job last year because she felt unsafe and said she would warn other young women against joining the air force.

She described the RAF’s handling of her complaint over the harassment as “traumatic”.

The force said unacceptable behaviour was “thoroughly investigated”.

Grace, who worked for another part of the RAF, resigned after three years of service after she was left feeling “scared to go into work”.

She told the BBC she received “constant explicit sexual remarks and comments directed towards me within the workplace” from her male manager.

“There was really graphic questioning about how I would engage in sexual activities. I can remember on a couple of occasions going into the toilet and locking myself in to stop myself from being alone in a room with that person,” she added.

After Grace complained informally about her boss, she was sanctioned by the RAF. The Ministry of Defence later admitted this amounted to “victimisation”.

Grace’s formal complaint over the harassment was found proven and upheld by the RAF.

The air force recommended her manager receive “disciplinary action” but refused to tell Grace what, if any, action had been taken.

She said the ordeal had left her “an anxious mess”.

“It wrecked my mental health,” she added.

“I’d have panic attacks because I was so scared to go into work. It shatters your feeling of safety in work.”

‘Trouble-maker’

Another former RAF employee Jennifer – not her real name – worked as an engineer for the Red Arrows, joining in 2022 while an investigation into behaviour in the squadron was taking place.

She said: “On my first day in the squadron there was some unacceptable behaviour training. I was really shocked to see that really lewd comments were being made about females on the squadron.

“The attitude was that the training was unnecessary.”

Jennifer told the BBC she was “seen as a trouble-maker” for complaining about alleged sexual harassment and bullying.

In November last year, the RAF’s chief of staff Sir Richard Knighton apologised “unreservedly” after an inquiry found behaviour such as unwanted physical contact, sexual texts and invitations to engage in sexual activity had gone unchallenged within the display team.