Red Arrows pilots ‘groped, bullied and sexually abused women’ in years long campaign, bombshell report reveals
SEX crazed Red Arrows treated women as “property” in a years long campaign of groping, bullying and predatory sexual abuse a bombshell report has revealed.
Terrified female crew formed self defence groups known as “shark watch” to protect each other on booze fuelled nights out with the Top Gun display team.
RAF boss Sir Richard Knighton said he was “appalled” by the squadron’s behaviour, which included rampant extra-marital affairs, flashing genitals, unwanted touching, degrading comments and at least one case of criminal battery.
Two pilots were sacked and nine others disciplined – including Red Arrows commanders – in the worst crisis to hit the world famous display team since it was formed in 1964.
Air Chief Marshal Knighton offered an “unreserved apology” to Red Arrows’ victims, including three brave women who raised complaints in 2021.
But he said he never even considered disbanding the RAF Aerobatic Team, as the Red Arrows are officially known, despite his predecessor’s decision to scrap a unit involved in sexual assaults on members.
ACM Knighton said: “I want to say that I am sorry and offer my unreserved apologies to any individuals that were subjected to unacceptable behaviours during their association with the Red Arrows.
“Unacceptable behaviours were widespread and normalised on the Red Arrows.
“These included sexual harassment, bullying and an alcohol-focused culture.
“The situation was compounded by a bystander culture, meaning people did not challenge what was happening.”
The RAF launched a non-statutory inquiry into horrific claims of Red Arrows abuse between 2017 and 2021.
It followed complaints from three women raised directly with the previous RAF boss Sir Mike Wigston.
The report was finally published today – more than 15 months after it was completed – alongside a second investigation into failures of Red Arrows leadership.
Page after page of the non-statutory report was redacted, including details of at least 64 examples of “unacceptable behaviours”.
But in between the censor’s black pen, the report explicitly warned the Red Arrows was “not a safe environment for females”.
It found women were highly likely to face “harassment because of their sex”.
And female staff who dared raise the alarm were accused of being “over-sensitive” or a “typical woman”.
Widespread types of harassment included groping, sexting, sexual propositions and “male sexual entitlement towards the females”.
The 72-page report said women were viewed “as the property of either individuals or the squadron”.
And women feared that refusing the male pilots’ advances would lead to “detrimental treatment” in their workplace.
The investigators also found evidence of consensual sexual relations.
The report said its authors were “struck by the fact” that most of these relationships involved a “considerable rank differential”.
And in in most cases “at least one party was engaging in an extra-marital relationship” in plain sight of the squadron.
The findings were passed to military police but they took no further action.
Air Chief Marshal Knighton said: “Where the inquiry found evidence of possible criminal behaviour this was passed to the service police.
“But the service police were unable to gather sufficient evidence to begin any prosecutions.”
He denied suggestions over a cover-up.
All of the pilots who flew for the Red Arrows between 2017 and 2021 have moved on, and only three of the ground crew remain, sources said.
Flight Lieutenant Will Cambridge, who flew as Red 4, and Flight Lieutenant Damon Green, who flew as Red 8, were dismissed from the Royal Air Force last year.