ANYONE who experienced criminal, inappropriate or unusual behaviour during army enlistment medical examinations are being urged to report it to the police.

This comes after Wiltshire Police launched a national investigation into sexual abuse, established earlier this year following the disclosure of non-recent sexual abuse of army recruits during enlistment medical examinations at several army locations throughout the UK.

The force is actively investigating allegations dating between the 1970s to 2016 and it is in contact with individuals who have been affected, as well as working to reach others who may have concerns or information to share.

The investigation is supported by the National Police Chief’s Council’s Hydrant Programme, the Defence Serious Crime Command and the Ministry of Defence.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Darren Hannant said: “We know how difficult it can be for people who have experienced sexual assault to come forward.

READ MORE: Stalker sat outside victim’s house on Christmas Day

READ MORE: Meet Sooty – a five-month-old bat-eared beauty looking for a new home this Halloween

“Our specially trained officers are here to listen and support those impacted, whilst conducting a thorough and sensitive investigation.

“If you hold any information that you think could help, please get in touch – you will be believed and treated with the utmost sensitivity and respect.

“I encourage you to engage with us so we can build a clear picture of what has happened, when, where and how we can prevent further harm.

“Our enquiries to date have revealed offending spanning several decades at various locations in the UK, indicating different perpetrators.

“One of my priorities is to protect people from further harm and I must focus appropriate attention on that risk.

“We also understand that people may want clarity around the scale of this investigation. At this stage, we are actively following multiple lines of enquiry and reaching out to a large number of people. We are yet to identify suspects- the investigation is in its early stages and further updates will be provided in due course.

“If you would like to contact me or my team, please use the following link to our investigation and we will respond to you as soon as possible.”

Contact the team by visiting mipp.police.uk/operation/5425N11-PO1.

The current remit of the Wiltshire Police investigation is focusing on sexual abuse and misconduct during army enlistment medical examinations.

Victims and survivors of sexual assault can access information and support via this page, via the Government’s site here and by visiting www.whenyouareready.co.uk