Defence royal commission hears evidence too disturbing for public release
Evidence deemed too disturbing to be publicly discussed has been laid bare at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Warning: Graphic.
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An Australian Army commander was mortified to “almost tears” after reading a disturbing troop survey pointing to a lewd culture in his ranks including sexual belittling and “pigging” of women.
In at times shocking evidence, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide heard some of the cultural abuse was so unacceptable they could not be discussed in an open public hearing.
Brigadier Nicholas Foxall, commander of 1st Brigade, agreed there were cultural problems that needed to be and were being addressed but agreed more had to be done at a service and national level.
His written statement and the Inspector General ADF survey audit was tendered but blocked from public release pending further legal review by the commission and Defence lawyers.
But in oral evidence the commission heard there were “constant discussions” about engaging in sexual acts with women, “pigging at monsoons” (sex with fat women), threesomes with people with bags on their heads with complaints with females dismissed as them being “just hormonal”.
“Male (redacted) in a female soldier’s Chain of Command made a comment about ‘f***ing fat girls’ with a number of other male unit members present including a (redacted) who laughed … a female soldier being told by a (redacted) ‘she would not go far in her career as she wouldn’t open her legs for the boys’.”
Brig Foxall agreed it was disgusting misogynistic comments to women in the regiment which made for disturbing reading. One of his commanding officers, a lieutenant colonel, was moved to tears by learning what people were saying and suggestions his lower officers were blocking the issues exposure. But he was confident in the process to stamp it out.
A clearly troubled commission chair Nick Kaldas asked the brigadier whether he realised how many ADF officers had come before him seemingly painting a “rosy picture” contrary to “a mountain of evidence” including 3500 submissions and hundreds of hours of oral evidence.
Brig Foxall said he was cognisant there were issues, particularly in settling grievances, and negligence existed in any organisation.
He said there were a large majority of good people doing good things but a handful of terrible people doing terrible things and his officers “triage” the issues including negligence in performance.
A terse Mr Kaldas asked if it was possible it was not negligence but malice in how complainants’ lives and careers were affected by their exposing issues.
“I would not discount that,” Brig Foxall replied.
In a document tendered to the commission, the number of “unacceptable behaviour” complaints had ballooned particularly for bullying alone having doubled for the Brigade.
The Darwin Robertson Barracks based 8/12 Regiment had three complaints in 2021 but 22 in 2022.
Since 2017 one unit alone, 1 Combat Signals Regiment, had more than 50 complaints; in this time the Brigade is dealing with more than 200 serious unacceptable behaviour issues.
The officer outlined the many stresses on the troops of the Darwin centralised combat brigade, including two-hour short-notice call outs for any action including helping deal with floods and fires on the other side of the country in NSW where they could be away from family for weeks.
The commanding officer of 5th Battalion RAR, Lt Col Christopher Gilmore said there were no unacceptable behaviour issues in his ranks. He said a notable game change was a return to duty that infantry soldiers had joined the service for and not other issues related to Covid-19.
“I believe we are in a good place and heading in the right direction,” he said.
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