Bangladesh, Nov. 14 -- For decades, the British Army has portrayed the Army Foundation College Harrogate (AFC Harrogate) as a gateway to discipline, opportunity and national service for teenagers who join its ranks at 16 and 17. It is the only military institution in Europe that still recruits children-a policy long criticised by rights groups but defended by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as a pathway to stable employment, structure and personal development.

Yet an extensive 11-month investigation by openDemocracy and the Children Rights International Network (CRIN) reveals a profoundly disturbing reality inside AFC Harrogate. Drawing on Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosures, video evidence, police records, parliamentary questions, an...