RAF Squadron Leader's Drunken Assault Mars VE Day Commemoration
A Royal Air Force Squadron Leader with four decades of unblemished service has been fined for indecently assaulting a junior airman during drunken 'horseplay' that went 'way too far' at an event marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day in France.
Disgraceful Conduct During Solemn Occasion
Stephen Parlor, 59, admitted disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind after grabbing a younger serviceman's genitals during raucous behavior at a bar in Reims. The incident occurred during what should have been a solemn three-day visit dedicated to commemorating the sacrifice of Second World War heroes.
Parlor had been selected to appear at events in Reims - the city where the armistice ending the Second World War was signed - based around the Musée de la Reddition (Museum of the Surrender). Instead of honoring the occasion, his actions brought disrepute to the force he had served since 1985.
Court Martial Details Shocking Incident
During proceedings at the Military Court at Catterick, prosecutor Will Peters described how a British deputation visited L.Bee's, a dance bar on Place Drouet d'Erlon in central Reims, on the evening of May 2 last year.
The group engaged in drunken games in the busy bar, with the victim being hoisted into the air and challenged to touch the ceiling. As he was being pushed upward, another member of the party grabbed his buttock. Upon landing, Parlor then 'grabbed or slapped' his genitals over clothing.
The prosecutor revealed: 'At that point the complainant said he froze, felt upset and wished to leave.'
Victim's Trauma and Court's Judgment
In a victim personal statement read to the court, the junior serviceman described feeling 'embarrassment and awkwardness' immediately after the incident and for some time afterwards. He added that he felt 'belittled' by Parlor's actions, though a compensation application made on his behalf was declined by the court.
Judge Advocate Tom Mitchell told Parlor he had been in France 'to represent His Majesty The King' but ended up indulging in behavior that crossed serious boundaries. The judge stated: 'Our conclusion is that you did what you did deliberately, you intended to touch the complainant's genitals and you intended to act indecently.'
While noting the act was deliberate, Judge Mitchell clarified it was not malicious, describing it as 'horseplay that went too far - it went way too far.'
Exemplary Career Ends in Shame
Parlor, who was a reservist Squadron Leader at the time of the assault and retired last December, had otherwise maintained an exemplary 40-year record. He served as chairman of the RAF Judo Association and was a well-known figure in judo circles.
Defense counsel Darren Samat described the incident as 'a second of madness' that should be viewed in the context of four decades of service. He emphasized: 'There was no malice in it whatsoever, albeit it was indecent and with hindsight inappropriate.'
A court martial board fined Parlor the equivalent of 28 days' wages for his actions, bringing a shameful conclusion to his military career.
Significance of the VE Day Commemoration
The events marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day held particular significance in Reims, being the last major anniversary many veterans would attend. The German surrender was signed at Lycée Roosevelt at 2:41 am on May 7, 1945, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Reims officials had invited 'residents and visitors to take part in a programme rich in emotions, memories and sharing,' describing the anniversary as 'a unique opportunity to bring generations together around the values of peace and freedom.'
Parlor's Previous Advocacy Work
Ironically, Parlor had been an advocate for LGBTQ inclusion within the RAF. Speaking in June 2021 for Pride Month, he gave an interview to British Judo discussing his experiences coming out as gay at age 30.
He revealed: 'In the early years of RAF life, I could have lost my job for being gay. So I had become used to living a lie, but at the same time constantly fearing a reprisal of being found-out!'
Parlor described how he first came out fully to the RAF Judo Team when serving as Team Manager, saying he was 'sick of lying to my friends' and received 'tremendously supportive and accepting' responses from colleagues.
This background makes his indecent assault on a junior colleague particularly contradictory to his public advocacy for respectful inclusion within the military community.
