A string of sexual misconduct allegations against Bermuda Regiment Major Glenn Brangman over a 13-year period was not reported to the Defence Board until after his retirement, according to the board’s current chairman.Wendell Hollis told The Royal Gazette he served on the board from 1989, when the first of 13 allegations of assault or harassment were made against the Quartermaster, but knew nothing about the accusations until 2002. He believes other members had no knowledge either.Mr Hollis insisted the Regiment did not seek to cover up the scandal during those years but admitted: “In hindsight, I’m disappointed that we were not aware of it, very disappointed.“Let’s just say that now that I’m chairman, I would expect that we would be made aware of it. What happened under previous chairmen was not under my control.”Brangman was ordered to retire from the Regiment by the Governor in 2002, after a military career spanning more than 30 years. He became general manager of Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) in 2007.The first the public knew about the rash of allegations at Warwick Camp was in September 2009 after a lengthy investigation by The Royal Gazette.We were unable to name 59-year-old Brangman at the time for legal reasons but finally revealed his identity on Monday, after a magistrate convicted him of four counts of sexual assault against a teenage clerk at BHC. None of the other allegations against him have ever been proven.Lawyer Mr Hollis said the coverage given to the claims by this newspaper in 2009 helped the Regiment improve the way it dealt with such complaints from soldiers.“I’m happy to acknowledge that the exposure that you have given this matter, that The Royal Gazette has given this matter, has assisted the Regiment in putting in effect the safeguards that we have today,” he said.“I want the public to know that every reasonable step is being taken to make sure that this never happens again.”He said since Brangman was charged in court with the assaults against the clerk in early 2010, the Regiment had taken “significant steps to ensure that this type of thing doesn’t happen”.He added: “I’m quite happy to say [this was] because of the proactive stance taken by The Royal Gazette at the time.”Mr Hollis, who was appointed chairman of the Defence Board last year, said the fact the 13 alleged victims were likely to have been conscripted soldiers “does compound the situation”.He said it was up to the Regiment’s commanding officer (CO), Lieutenant Colonel Brian Gonsalves, to decide whether to issue an apology to the men.“I can say, as a member of the Defence Board, I have no problem whatsoever in apologising to them for what happened.”He added there was “no procedure” for the Regiment to provide recompense in such cases and he was not willing to comment on whether he thought compensation should be given.Mr Hollis joined the Regiment in January 1976 and left in September 1988, serving alongside Brangman during those years.He said he was shocked when told about the allegations in 2002 by then CO, Lt Col David Gibbons, having never seen any evidence of such behaviour from the Quartermaster.“By that stage, I had known Glenn Brangman for 20-odd years,” he said. “I had no reason to suspect any of that until I was made aware of it.“I would suggest there was a significant number of people in the Regiment who were shocked. It wasn’t like the whole Regiment knew or other people knew. He was good at what he did. He was meticulous. He was very respectful.”The chairman said the army now had mandatory annual preventive training for all soldiers, a streamlined complaint and grievance service and had hired a former RAF officer who specialised in disciplinary matters, including those involving sexual misconduct.“I’m satisfied that it’s as safe as it can be and that any activity of this nature would be detected as soon as possible and dealt with appropriately,” said Mr Hollis.“No one can ever say that a place is free of all dangers because no one knows who the possible perpetrator is but we probably have a mechanism now that is as good as anybody’s and probably better than most.”He said it was important the 13 claims against Brangman between 1989 and 2002 were not used to present a distorted image of the Regiment.“One case is too many but, in the period you are referring to, four-and-a-half thousand soldiers have gone through the Regiment. So I’m not defending it but you have to look at that on a statistical basis.“In the last ten years, we have had more than 2,000 men go through the Regiment and I only know of one case of this nature.”Lt Col Gonsalves said in September 2009 that the public did not need to know how many reports of sexual abuse had been made at Warwick Camp and that statistics were not kept because it was “not a problem”.Mr Hollis said the Regiment now kept a record of such reports. “I believe now that the Regiment is an open book and that we should be prepared to openly disclose and discuss these matters and I think we are quite prepared to.”Brangman was cleared of sexually assaulting a corporal in 2001 after a Magistrates’ Court trial. This newspaper reported on the case that year, including the fact that the accused was a senior Regiment soldier, but we could not name the defendant.Mr Hollis said even though he was on the Defence Board at the time he was not aware who was involved in the case.Useful website: www.bermudaregiment.bm.