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Scottish ex-major general with successful career accused of sexual assault

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A former Scottish army officer with an illustrious career is due to appear before a military court later this month to face charges of sexual assault.

The Army has confirmed that Major General James Roddis will appear before a military court in Bulford on 17 July to face charges under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.



The 52-year-old was born in Aberdour in the county of Fife and was until recently director of strategy at Strategic Command – an organisation that includes special forces and intelligence units.

The married father of three was considered a war hero for his leadership in active military service and was widely considered a candidate for the position of Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, but is no longer in service.

An Army spokesman said: “We expect very high standards of conduct from all our personnel and take all allegations of misconduct extremely seriously.”

“Former Major General James Roddis will appear at Bulford Military Court Centre on 17 July 2024 charged with sexual assault under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. We will have no further comment while the court proceedings are ongoing.”

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Roddis received numerous awards during his 30-year military career, including a Distinguished Service Order – an award for highly successful command and leadership in active service.

He was appointed MBE and also received two Queen’s Commendations for Valuable Service in 2008 and 2017.

In 2014, he was commander of the Highlanders – troops of the 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland – which was then the last Scottish battalion to serve in combat in Afghanistan.

Major General Roddis, the eldest son of a Royal Navy officer, was also appointed acting colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, in an honorary role alongside King Charles. He is believed to be the highest-ranking army officer in military history to be charged with alleged sex offences.

In 2021, former Major General Nick Welch faced a four-week trial at the same venue, making him the highest-ranking officer to be court-martialed since 1815.

Welch, who left the military in 2018, was sentenced to 21 months in prison in March 2021 for fraud after falsely claiming more than £48,000 in pocket money to pay his children’s boarding school fees.

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