‘Poo smeared on car’: Young soldier’s pain at bullying

An Australian digger claims he was sexually assaulted on base by a “bully”, had his car smeared with human faeces and told to “go ahead and kill himself”.

An Australian digger claims he was sexually assaulted on base by a “bully”, had his car smeared with human faeces and told to “go ahead and kill himself”.

So traumatised by the campaign of abuse and victimisation was the infantryman that he stopped eating and vomited every day.

The soldier is remaining anonymous as he fears reprisal. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

The sensational claims of abuse were reported the next day but the young soldier was allegedly told to toughen up and defend himself next time.

He spoke to the Sunday Telegraph on the condition of anonymity after it was revealed soldiers at a South Australian base were being humiliated, forced to stand armed guard, recording each other’s visit to the toilet.

The soldier does not want his location revealed for fear of reprisals.

“Luckily I didn’t have the balls to kill myself but I tried,” he said.

“I saw a psychiatrist and got to the point that people glued my car doors shut and wrote ‘kill yourself’ on the dirt on the back window. I had to leave so I transferred and hit the reset button on my career.”

The digger said he had only recently been able to share the horror of his time at the toxic Australian Army unit with his partner and family. He joined at just 18 years of age.

“While there I was bullied beyond belief. It got to the point where I was sexually assaulted by a massive drunk digger that was a bully and lived below me on base,” said the digger, who was 18 at the time.

“His friend was filming it. It was in the carport. He grabbed me, called me a ‘faggot’, tried to force my hand down his pants and tried to force his hand down mine.”

The soldier said he knew the “bully” wanted to provoke him to fight back “so then he could flog the shit out of me”.

“Meanwhile they were both laughing their arse off. I was petrified. I got into my car and he jumped on the bonnet and wiped his arse on windscreen.

“I ran out of my car and upstairs and locked myself in my room. Whilst in my room he hid a fish under my car carpets and rubbed his own faeces under the car handles.

“I was literally petrified. I went to the padre the next day, I didn’t know where else to go.”

A senior officer was brought in and he “laughed at the situation”.

Later that day the soldier was brought into the senior officer’s office and forced to sit next to his attacker.

“He was smirking and the officer told me not to talk about it anymore and in future to act like a man and fight back and asked me if I was gay.”

A Defence spokesman told The Sunday Telegraph that Defence was not aware of the allegations and welcomes any information so it can investigate this matter.

“All allegations of sexual assault are immediately referred to the local Joint Military Police Unit for investigation, and where appropriate raised with civilian authorities,” the spokesman said.

“Defence does not tolerate unacceptable behaviour or sexual assault and takes all allegations very seriously.

“Defence’s cultural change initiatives include encouraging victims of abuse and sexual misconduct to report and seek Defence support services.”

The Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Office provides confidential services, advice and support to all current and former Defence personnel including their families, and Defence Force Cadets who have been impacted by sexual misconduct, the spokesman said

“Additionally, the Joint Military Police Unit operates with a victim-centric approach regarding the wishes of victims of abuse and sexual misconduct.

“This policy is followed on all reported cases.”