A member of the Armed Forces has received £709,000 in compensation for bullying, it emerged last night. The sum dwarfs payments for troops seriously wounded on the battlefield. Those who have lost both legs in combat are eligible for £570,000. Another soldier has received £411,000 after being left with psychological problems caused by harassment at the hands of senior troops. A member of the Armed Forces has received £709,000 in compensation for bullying, it emerged last night . The settlements are thought to be the largest paid out by Ministry of Defence as a result of bullying. Last year, the MoD gave a total of £81.9million in compensation to members of the Armed Forces for injury, death and property damage by the MoD, according to the Daily Mirror. Emma Norton of human rights group Liberty said: ‘This is much more than a financial headache for the MoD – it’s a problem that can cost a person their mental wellbeing or even their life. A new watchdog is to be created to investigate the way bullying and abuse cases are dealt with in the Armed Forces after Corporal Anne Marie Ellement (above) was found hanged in 2011 . ‘If a soldier is bullied, ignored, then ground down by an interminable and biased complaints system, it’s no surprise they feel legal action is their only option. ‘If the MoD wants to reduce its compensation bill, it must deal effectively with bullies – simply saying the Army has a zero- tolerance approach doesn’t make it so.’ The MoD said it was misleading to compare payouts from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme with common law claims. A spokesman said that personal injury claims were based on ‘legal liability’, while the AFCS gives compensation ‘irrespective of fault, across a range of circumstances’ arising from service. A new watchdog is to be created to investigate the way bullying and abuse cases are dealt with in the armed forces, the Government announced last year. The case of Cpl Anne Marie Ellement, 30, who was found hanged at Bulford Barracks, Wilts, in 2011 prompted the commitment. An inquest found that psychological effects of an alleged rape and ‘work-related despair’ contributed to her death and the coroner called for the MoD to review its care for vulnerable soldiers.
Another soldier received £411,000 because of psychological problems .
MoD said it was misleading to compare compensation scheme payouts .