‘Not acceptable’: Labor to start inquiry on sexual violence in ADF
New legislation would give a ‘presumption of termination’ to perpetrators of sexual violence, similar to the ADF’s treatment of service members who have taken illegal drugs.
Labor will introduce laws to tackle sexual violence in the Australian Defence Force, Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh says, asserting the issue has not worsened under the Albanese government.
The legislation would give a “presumption of termination” to perpetrators of sexual violence – similar to the ADF’s treatment of service members who have taken illegal drugs – Mr Keogh said, in a speech delivered on the one-year anniversary of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
Labor will also set up an independent inquiry into sexual violence – one of the recommendations of the royal commission – a year after the government committed to one.
The latest ADF annual report shows 215 alleged sexual offences were reported to the military police – the highest in four years.
“There is no shying away from Defence still not getting this right,” Mr Keogh told the National Press Club on Tuesday.
“Lots has been done but people – especially women – are still experiencing this behaviour.
“This is not acceptable.”
Mr Keogh said the Australian Human Rights Commission would conduct an inquiry into sexual violence in the ADF, as well as research into the “prevalence and effects of sexual trauma”.
“Not only does sexual violence cause serious harm to individuals, it undermines Defence, and impacts our operational effectiveness,” he said.
“Inconsistent handling of cases and the continued presence of offenders within the ADF have eroded confidence in Defence’s ability to keep its people safe.
“If there’s one message I want perpetrators to take from my address today, it’s that if you engage in sexual violence you can presume you no longer have a job in Defence.”
When asked about the uptick in sexual violence reports in the past financial year, Mr Keogh said he did not think the situation had been “getting worse”.
“It’s certainly not an acceptable situation that we’re confronting now,” he said.
“Some of those reports that were made in that last financial year do relate to historical events, so they didn’t all occur necessarily in that year. And that needs to be taken into account.”
Mr Keogh also said the government had “turned around what was a defence recruitment crisis”, spruiking the ADF’s “highest intake in 15 years”.
He said the government would put $78m over four years to establish a new veteran and family wellbeing agency – to start in July 2026 – to help the transition from the military to civilian life.
“The agency will focus on the overall wellbeing of veterans and families, while providing wraparound support for at-risk veterans as they transition out of the Australian Defence Force,” he said.
More Coverage
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout