Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead in her Larkhill Camp barracks in southwest England in December 2021.

Earlier that year she had raised a complaint that she was sexually assaulted by a senior colleague at a work event, leaving her terrified and having to flee for her safety, an inquest into her death heard.

Beck was also subjected to intense harassment from another superior, her manager Bombardier Ryan Mason, who sent her a barrage of 4,600 messages in October-November 2021, the inquest was told.

In an apology on behalf of the army, Brigadier Melissa Emmett told reporters on Thursday "we should have done so much more to support and protect her," insisting "significant changes" had been made since Beck's death.

Concluding the inquest, coroner Nicholas Rheinberg found "systemic" failings in the army's handling of the sexual assault complaint and said it should have been reported to the police.

He also criticised senior officers for seeking the least severe punishment for Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber, who Beck filed the complaint against.

"How Jaysley's complaint was handled played more than a contributory part in her death," Rheinberg said.

Britain's defence ministry said in a statement it had "accepted the failings identified by the Service Inquiry and responded to the recommendations".

But Beck's mother Leighann McCready said that since the start of the inquest, hundreds of soldiers had got in touch to share their experiences with her.

"No apology will ever bring our daughter back," she told journalists after the inquest, saying Beck was "kind, caring and truly loved by everyone who knew her."

She called for independent investigations into cases of sexual assault in the army, saying it "cannot be allowed to investigate itself anymore".

"There needs to be an independent body responsible for investigating those more serious cases," she said. "Only then can we ensure true accountability, real justice and genuine change."

The Centre for Military Justice, a charity that gives legal aid to victims of harassment, said the case showed "the urgent need for reform."

Allowing the armed forces "to mark their own homework when some of their people are accused of the most appalling behaviours simply doesn't work," it said.