In response to today’s verdict on the inquest into the death of Pte Cheryl James at Deepcut Army Barracks, Air Vice-Marshal David Murray, chief executive, SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, said:
“Nine years ago, as a direct response to the Deepcut tragedies, SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, set up Forcesline, a confidential helpline to ensure that our Forces had someone independent to turn to.
“In the last year Forcesline saw an 85% increase in calls from serving personnel, many relating to mental health issues. Some of those that we help are concerned that asking for support from their chain of command could be perceived as a sign of weakness. This is a real concern for us and in light of today’s verdict, serving troops must be encouraged to come forward with their problems and it is incumbent on all of us to let them know that it is OK to ask for help.”
