More than 20 years after he died while undergoing training at Deepcut barracks, the High Court ordered a fresh inquest into the death of Private Sean Benton. \u00a0A date for the inquest has not been\u00a0set.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s decision comes four months after the conclusion of a fresh inquest into the death of Private Cheryl James, which exposed the toxic, unsafe and sexualized environment in which James, Benton\u00a0and other Deepcut recruits lived.<\/p>\n
One day after he had been told he was to be discharged from the Army, Benton, 20, was found with five bullet wounds to his chest. \u00a0 He was the first of four young soldiers to die of gunshot wounds at the Surrey barracks between 1995 and 2002. \u00a0Benton’s\u00a0death was immediately investigated by the Army\u2019s internal police, the Royal Military Police, rather than by civilian police. \u00a0The Coroner recorded a verdict of suicide.<\/p>\n
As with other Deepcut deaths, a criminal investigation carried out by Surrey Police in 2002 and 2003 concluded there was no evidence of third party involvement. \u00a0The families were told very little about what had happened and were denied\u00a0access to all materials recovered\u00a0by police.<\/p>\n
Benton’s\u00a0family estimated the initial inquest lasted less than two hours. \u00a0 It heard evidence from only\u00a0six people. \u00a0His medical and mental health records were not acquired\u00a0and no evidence was sought or given about his experiences at Deepcut.<\/p>\n
In 2012, a human rights organization,\u00a0acting on behalf of Sean\u2019s mother, used Article 2 of the Human Rights Act to insist Surrey Police give her access to all evidence held by the force about her son and his death. \u00a0They agreed to disclose all relevant material. \u00a0That process was finally completed\u00a0in 2015.<\/p>\n
Sean\u2019s twin brother Tony Benton and sister Tracy Lewis, applied for a fresh inquest in July 2015. \u00a0The application was made possible only after their mother Linda Benton, who died last year, used the Human Rights Act to access evidence held by Surrey Police about his death.<\/p>\n
Tracy Lewis, Sean\u2019s older sister, said: \u201cOur family had just 20 years with Sean. It has taken us another 21 to secure the thorough, independent inquiry we should have seen immediately after his death. \u00a0For that reason, our parents are not here with us to see this day. \u00a0For two decades, our family has been tormented by questions about what Sean went through at Deepcut. \u00a0If his death had been properly investigated in 1995, we would have been spared years of uncertainty and pain.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"