A former RAF airwoman sexually assaulted by a male colleague on a night out has claimed superiors appeared more concerned she had broken a curfew. 

The female ex-corporal was attacked while asleep at a hotel in Crete in 2018 after she was deployed to the Greek island.

But when the woman returned to her base and reported the assault, she says senior officers appeared more worried she had breached a curfew than for her welfare. 

"I had just found the courage to tell someone and I was getting into trouble. There was no sympathy, empathy or advice on what would happen next," she told the BBC. 

She added two men from RAF Police weren't equipped with equipment needed to carry out proper forensic tests and sought help from a nearby US military base. 

A male corporal stood trial at a military court in 2019 but was acquitted of wrongdoing and allowed to resume serving. 

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons but referred to as Sam by the BBC, said the verdict was evidence of a RAF "boys' club" where sexual harassment, misogyny and homophobia are rife. 

'Tough crowd for women'

The assault led to her suffering depression and anxiety when she returned to the UK following her deployment. 

Sam said she left the RAF in 2021 after she was medically discharged. 

Sam told the BBC: "I understood why a lot of women didn't stay in the forces, because it's a tough crowd to be in." 

She later brought a case for sexual harassment at an employment tribunal which she won in December last year. 

The tribunal ruled Sam was sexually harassed and found there was "no factual dispute" the sexual assault took place. 

'Zero tolerance' to sexual harassment

A separate claim of sexual discrimination was not upheld. 

The RAF said a new "zero-tolerance" policy towards unacceptable sexual behaviour was drafted following "historic cases" such as Sam's. 

The force said new measures, including the creation of a Defence Serious Crimes Unit, had been introduced to investigate such allegations.