Defence Serious Crime Unit
{{Short description|Military unit of the United Kingdom}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Defence Serious Crime Unit
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| start_date = 5 December 2022
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| country = {{flagicon|UK}} United Kingdom
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- {{army|United Kingdom}}
- {{air force|United Kingdom}} }}
| type = Defence investigative unit
| role = Service criminal investigations
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| garrison = Campion Lines, Bulford Garrison
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The Defence Serious Crime Unit (DSCU), is a military unit within the Defence Crime Command which investigates alleged crimes and criminal activity involving personnel subject to Service law in the United Kingdom, or those in the UK military serving abroad. The unit replaces the three Special Investigation Branches of the UK armed services (the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force).
Background
In 2017, a Service Justice System (SJS) review was enacted, led by Shaun Lyons and Jon Murphy. One of the report's recommendations was that a Defence Serious Crime Unit be formed from personnel drawn from all three service strands within the UK military framework.
;Recommendation 2: A tri-Service Defence Serious Crime Unit (DSCU) is created following the civilian police Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) model.
;Recommendation 3: The three existing Special Investigations Bureau (SIB) be brigaded into the DSCU together with all current specialist investigative support - intelligence, undercover, surveillance, digital units, forensic and scenes of crime.
;Recommendation 4: SP [service police] personnel are seconded into the unit and should retain their individual SP identity.{{cite web |last1=Lyons |first1=Shaun |last2=Murphy |first2=Jon |title=Service Justice System Review (Part 2) |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/918850/SJS_Review_Part_2_Report_for_publication__accessible_.pdf |website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |page=26 |date=March 2019}}
In October 2020, Ben Wallace MP further enacted a second report by Richard Henriques which agreed wholeheartedly with the SJS review in the setting up of the DCSU.{{cite web |last1=Henriques |first1=Richard |title=REPORT OF THE HENRIQUES REVIEW INTO THE FRAMEWORK, PROCESSES AND SKILLS THAT THE SERVICE JUSTICE SYSTEM REQUIRES FOR OVERSEAS OPERATIONS |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1027786/20210729-Henriques_Review_Report.pdf |website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |access-date=15 January 2023 |page=15}} This report was delivered in October 2021.{{cite web |title=Sir Richard Henriques Review |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-10-21/debates/21102170000016/SirRichardHenriquesReview |website=hansard.parliament.uk |access-date=15 January 2023 |date=21 October 2021}} The service criminal inquiry process had attracted some criticism as it was deemed to have not effectively investigated criminal activity, particularly the most serious crimes of rape, manslaughter and murder. The Centre for Military Justice maintains that such serious crimes as these (and the crime of sexual assault by penetration), should be investigated by civilian police forces.{{cite web |title=Problems with the Service Police |url=https://centreformilitaryjustice.org.uk/guide/problems-with-the-service-police/ |website=centreformilitaryjustice.org.uk |access-date=15 January 2023}} Up until 2006, these crimes were tried in the civilian courts, however, this was amended in 2006 so that service police could investigate crimes that had historically occurred abroad (when service personnel were on active duty) which the civilian courts could not legally prosecute.{{cite news |last1=Boffey |first1=Daniel |title=Eight in 10 rape charges tried by UK military courts end without conviction |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/02/eight-in-10-charges-tried-uk-military-courts-martial-end-without-conviction |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=2 November 2022}}
One of the accusations about Service Police was that they were/are not able to handle complex investigations, particularly serious offences. In 2012, the body of a Kenyan woman was found in septic tank three months after she had disappeared. It is alleged that a British soldier killed her after she was seen out partying with soldiers based near Nanyuki.{{cite news |title=Agnes Wanjiru murder: Kenya family's anger over UK army 'cover-up' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-59051789 |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=BBC News |date=26 October 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Rachel |title=Family of Kenyan woman allegedly murdered by UK soldier to sue MoD |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/10/family-of-kenyan-woman-allegedly-murdered-by-uk-soldier-to-sue-mod-agnes-wanjiru |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=10 November 2021}} A request by the Kenyan police to the Royal Military Police (RMP) to collect DNA samples from all the soldiers in the hotel on the night of Agnes Wanjiru's disappearance was not acted upon. The Sunday Times stated that the RMP is not fit for purpose. "It is one thing to break up bar brawls between soldiers and locals, but investigating murders and collecting forensic evidence is beyond its limited capabilities."{{cite news |editor-last1=Tucker |editor-first1=Emma |editor-link=Emma Tucker|title=Episode that has brought shame on the British Army |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/article/episode-that-has-brought-shame-on-the-british-army-hrphxjgt7 |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=The Sunday Times |date=24 October 2021|url-access=subscription}}
Role
Ben Wallace MP described the formation of the new unit as "... a step change to improving the quality and capability of the armed forces to investigate serious crimes. Fully independent, it will create a critical mass of experience and personnel to ensure our investigations are thorough, high quality and timely."{{cite news |last1=Grylls |first1=George |title=British military sets up unit for investigating sexual offences |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/british-military-unit-sexual-offences-investigation-8b8rtswd7 |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=The Times |date=5 December 2022|url-access=subscription}} The "fully independent" that Wallace states is that investigations will be outside of the alleged victims' chain of command.{{cite news |last1=Sabbagh |first1=Dan |title=MoD overhauls rules for investigating sexual offences in armed forces |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/dec/02/mod-overhauls-rules-for-investigating-sexual-offences-in-armed-forces |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=2 December 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Sengupta |first1=Kim |title=Army reforms announced in bid to protect female soldiers from abuse |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-army-women-sexual-harrassment-bullying-b1968104.html |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=The Independent |date=2 December 2021}} The DSCU will utilise the specialist skills and resources of all three services in one unit. In November 2021, when some of the recommendations from the Henriques report were taken forward, it was stated that the DSCU would have military commander who was "hierarchically, institutionally and practically" independent of the chain of command and of those whom it investigated.{{cite news |last1=Hughes |first1=Laura |title=UK government and generals criticised over efforts to curb harassment in army |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a055c299-a5fa-4e0e-9385-904de2c36d32 |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=Financial Times |date=8 November 2021|url-access=subscription}}
All staff on the new unit will be trained to deal with sexual offences, with some being trained in special investigations procedures, family liaison and specialist interviewing techniques at the College of Policing.{{cite news |last1=Mander |first1=Simon |title=Defences launches new unit to combat sexual offenders |work=RAF News |issue=1,551 |date=13 January 223 |page=13|issn=0035-8614}} The DCSU will be a tri-service unit under the command of a newly appointed provost-marshal.{{cite news |title=MOD to establish Defence Serious Crime Unit |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mod-to-establish-defence-serious-crime-unit |access-date=15 January 2023 |work=gov.uk |date=21 October 2021}} Legislation dictates a "Tri-service serious crimes unit" being formed on 5 December 2022.{{cite web |title=The Armed Forces (Tri-Service Serious Crime Unit) (Consequential Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2022/9780348239522 |website=legislation.gov.uk |access-date=15 January 2023}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://centreformilitaryjustice.org.uk/ The Centre for Military Justice]
- [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1027786/20210729-Henriques_Review_Report.pdf The Henriques Review]
- [https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9118/CBP-9118.pdf Review of the Service Justice System]
Category:Military police agencies of the United Kingdom
Category:Organisations based in Hampshire
Category:Military units and formations established in 2022