Suicide bid by Aussie soldier ‘after Defence ignored claims of bullying’

An Australian soldier has attempted suicide in Afghanistan.

An Australian soldier has attempted suicide in Afghanistan, reportedly after claiming her complaint of being bullied was ignored.

Defence yesterday confirmed an “Australian Defence Force member” had been evacuated to a specialist medical facility in Landstuhl, Germany, for a “non-combat-related medical issue” but would not comment on the bullying allegations.

Defence declined to confirm the soldier was female but NSW-based veterans’ advocate Loretta Somerville said she understood the woman was a medic serving in the capital, Kabul.

Ms Somerville, a navy veteran who runs several veteran support networks and is assisting a number of families dealing with the aftermath of veterans’ suicide, warned not enough was being done to deal with bullying.

Unconfirmed reports suggested the soldier had written a suicide note alleging a complaint of bullying had been ignored.

Instead of dealing with the issue, command was alleged to have made the defence force member part of the problem, according to a news report on radio station 3AW. Defence has confirmed an investigation was ongoing but declined to provide any information about the circumstances.

“The ADF is providing support to the member and the member’s family,’’ it said in a statement.

News of the incident broke as Defence Minister Marise Payne was preparing to give a speech highlighting the value women bring to the military and their achievements.

At a press conference, Senator Payne described the incident as “an absolute tragedy and a very, very unsettling event’’.

“Our thoughts are with the soldier and their family,” she said.

In her speech to the Women and National Security Conference in Canberra, Senator Payne cited examples of the valuable contribution women had provided to Defence. “Let’s be clear: a ‘women, peace and security’ perspective built into our operations is a capability enhancer,’’ she said.

About 270 ADF personnel are deployed to Afghanistan under Operation Highroad which supports the NATO-led train, advise and assist mission called Resolute Support.

Included in the 270 are about 45 personnel located in a military base at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport where they co-ordinate administration, communications and logistics support for all ADF members deployed to Afghanistan.

Two other Australian Army ­officers serve as military advisers to the United National Assistance Mission to Afghanistan based in Kandahar and Kabul, where they are supposed to maintain contact and liaison with all military forces throughout the country.

The suicide attempt comes just days after a landmark review of veterans found suicide rates of ­Defence personnel was higher than the general population, particularly among younger veterans and that service policies might be a contributing factor.

The review by the National Mental Health Commission reported Defence was aware of 119 suspected or confirmed suicides between 2000 and December last year. The review heard significant criticism of Defence and Veterans Affairs noting that the departments needed to co-ordinated ­better.

If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide call Lifeline (13 11 14) or the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467).