Uniform Justice: Slut shaming commonplace aboard ‘boys’ club’ HMAS Brisbane

Guided missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane was a breeding ground for bad behaviour, sexual ­innuendo and slut shaming, former sailors claim.

HMAS Brisbane in Sydney Harbour. The guided missile destroyer was a breeding ground for sexual misbehaviour and slut shaming, former sailors say.

The navy ship at the centre of an assault that landed a sailor in detention was a breeding ground for bad behaviour, sexual ­innuendo and slut shaming, former sailors claim.

Defence has admitted ­complaints had been received regarding conduct on-board HMAS Brisbane

Four chief petty officers left the navy within 12 months on medical grounds claiming they were “unsupported” by the chain of command on HMAS Brisbane, a guided missile destroyer with 311 crew, the Sunday Telegraph understands.

Ex-sailors contacted the Sunday Telegraph after able seaman Bailey Holloway was sentenced to 30 days’ detention after he got drunk and ­“persistently” smacked a subordinate on her buttocks one night while on a three-month operation in 2021.

While magistrate Michael Cowen QC told Holloway his guilty pleas were the only thing that saved him from permanent dismissal from the Australian Defence Force, he noted the incident was a “bump in the road”. Mr Cowen told the able seaman, who came from a proud navy family, that he needed to “soldier on, dust yourself off and be a valuable member of the ADF”.

Able seaman Bailey Holloway was detained for 30 days pleading guilty to assault related to a drunken night on-board HMAS Brisbane in 2021.

One source said the behaviour was commonplace on the ship and he had witnessed slut-shaming of a woman who had sex with a person of the same rank.

“They were in different departments but it spread around the whole ship. Everyone was talking about it,” he said.

“The woman was really upset, it really upset me watching that happen. It can definitely be a boys’ club.”

Another said “officers have a way of looking out for each other”.

“They follow policy as much as they have to and don’t follow as much as they can get away with. That’s the big problem,” he said.

“Anything that goes off ship and looks bad for the captain, so they try and in-house anything they can unless it goes public or off the ship.

(File image) HMAS Brisbane transits out of Tokyo Bay, Japan. Former sailors have spoken out against the ship’s culture.

“Chief Petty Officers would regularly raise issues with superiors regarding the culture on the ship and expected action to be taken when issues were reported, however any action taken was reduced to a discipline table not impacting the manning of the ship or its reputation.”

In a statement a spokesman for the ADF confirmed complaints had been received regarding conduct on-board HMAS Brisbane – however would not reveal specific details.

“There is no place for sexual misconduct in Defence. All allegations are taken very seriously. Incidents of sexual misconduct do not align with Defence values,” they said.

“Defence is aware of a small number of incidents relating to HMAS Brisbane and actions were taken. Defence cannot provide information on individual cases due to privacy.”