Distinguished former army general accused of sexual assault

A former army general will appear before a military court on charges of sexual assault, a spokesman said.

Former Major General James Roddis, reportedly from Fife, is due to appear at Bulford Military Court Centre in Wiltshire on July 17.

He was charged under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act, which covers sexual abuse by touching without consent.

The 52-year-old is a former commander of the Highlanders, 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and was later responsible for supervising the special forces.

He is also a recipient of an MBE and a Distinguished Service Order, an award for particularly successful leadership and management in active service.

He was awarded the Queen’s Honour for Valuable Service twice, in 2008 and 2017.

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 before Bulford Military Court Centre on 17 July 2024 charged with sexual assault under section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

“We will not comment further while the legal proceedings are ongoing.”