© Eddie Keogh / Reuters
The report entitled 'Recruitment of Child Soldier by the British Armed Forces,' which was fronted by the public health charity Medact, draws on damning testimony from those who joined the military as children to make a scientific and ethical case for raising the recruitment age to 18.
Aside from making a moral case against the practice and exposing what they consider opaque and dishonest recruiting tactics, the authors argue that young adolescents are incapable of making informed decisions, given the way military careers are "glamorized," while their youth and stage of brain development also mean that they are more likely to be damaged by service.
"Minimum age laws exist to protect children from smoking, drinking, driving and watching violent films," Dr. David McCoy, Medact's director, told the Guardian. "It's time for the UK to fall in step with the vast majority of countries and raise the minimum recruitment age to 18," he said.
Comment: The people of the UK gave a strong signal to leave the EU with their vote for Brexit. If EU nationals wish to stay in the UK, they cannot expect to retain the same conditions. They are after all living in a host country as guests and need to adapt to the changes of the country in which they live.