Former lieutenant commander Charles Howeson is on trial for groping a younger sailor as well as other alleged attacks
The Royal Navy has been accused of trying to cover up a high-ranking officer’s alleged sexual assault on a sailor in a bid to avoid a scandal.
Charles Howeson, 67, who was a lieutenant commander, is on trial accused of several sex attacks including groping a junior on the frigate HMS Cleopatra in 1985.
The court heard claims that, despite complaints made against Howeson, he was allowed to carry on in his role as it would have ‘looked bad’ for the Navy if the scandal had got out.
His alleged victim, who was in his 20s at the time, said he believed no action was taken because the service wanted to keep it quiet.
Howeson, of Plymouth, Devon, joined the Royal Navy in 1967 and also held a senior role at the Queen’s bank, Coutts and Co. He denies 12 sex offences.
The former Cleopatra crewman, who cannot be named, told the court he was called to Howeson’s cabin on the pretext of conducting a man overboard exercise.
As they carried a large dummy upstairs he said Howeson groped his genitals in a ‘disgusting, revolting incident’.
The former naval officer is pictured outside court in Plymouth ahead of his trial this week
After leaving the Navy in 1990, Howesen (pictured with wife Emma) went on to hold a number of positions in business, including for First Great Western and the Queen’s bank Coutts
The alleged victim told the court that he only found out last year that no formal action had been taken against Howeson, despite him making the accusation more than 30 years ago.sex
He said he immediately told senior officers and was later told Howeson would be forced to leave – but nothing happened.
He said: ‘I believe the Navy wanted to keep this quiet because it was going to be a scandal.
‘A First Lieutenant and a young sailor would have been a nice juicy story in the papers.
‘Here he is groping a sailor, the last thing the navy would want would be any scandal in the service.
‘I honestly thought he had been kicked out of the service. The Navy didn’t want that to happen here because it would have looked bad.’
Howeson denies 11 indecent assaults and another sexual assault against nine victims, both boys and men, between December 1985 and September 1994.
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