Sex abuse still rife in armed services

Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith said sexual abuse would not be tolerated in the Defence Force. Photo / NZPA

Alarming revelations in confidential military reports reveal that the Australian Defence Force is struggling to reduce levels of sexual abuse, bullying and other problems among its troops.

Despite a massive bid to shift the force's culture and seven reports probing almost every aspect of service life after a series of scandals, documents obtained by Channel Seven under freedom of information laws show little appears to have changed.

Most of the incidents were reported after the outrage of last year's Skype scandal, in which a cadet at the elite Australian Defence Force Academy filmed his seduction of a female colleague and broadcast it live to other cadets.

The incidents included in dozens of "hot issues briefs" obtained by Channel Seven ranged from rape and attempted murder to possession of child pornography, sexual assault, the concubinage of teenagers on base and further explicit videotaping.

The greatest number of complaints involved the navy, whose problems peaked with revelations of life on board the supply ship HMAS Success during an Asian deployment in 2009.

Subject to a separate report and pending action, these included inappropriate conduct towards women, workforce bullying, a "tribal culture" on board the ship, drunken and disreputable behaviour ashore, a breakdown in discipline and serious failures of command.

Even after the subsequent outcry, problems continued on board the Success.

The Channel Seven documents said one of its officers had been accused of inappropriate relationships with junior sailors and of filming them in the shower.

Videos of sexual acts with other sailors were also discovered, butdespite a record of similar behaviour the officer was transferred to another ship.

The documents also said that just four days after the first report into the original Success allegations, a sailor on the ship - now facing court martial - allegedly indecently assaulted two others in their cabin.

More serious was the charging of a sailor from the minehunter HMAS Yarra with aggravated sexual assault and strangulation with intent to murder.

In the army, a soldier was charged with rape, deprivation of liberty and assault involving a female civilian, another at the School of Artillery was found in possession of child pornography, and yet another was accused of housing two teenagers, aged 15 and 17, for two weeks in Sydney's Holsworthy barracks.

An air force member was charged with indecently assaulting a minor.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith said yesterday that such behaviour would not be tolerated.

"It is essential that the Defence Force promotes and enforces the highest standards of behaviour in line with modern community expectations and creates an environment where complaints can be aired and appropriately addressed," he said.

Smith already has a welter of disturbing reports to consider, continuing long lists of recommendations from the five inquiries established after the Skype scandal.

Most will be released this month, with the Government's response.