Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Matt Buckley has ordered a 100 per cent audit of bathrooms across the Royal Australian Navy fleet after a recording device was found in the women's bathroom of HMAS Leeuwin, an incident he labelled a "despicable betrayal of trust" and an act of sexual violence.
Vice Admiral Buckley, who took over as Chief of Navy this year, told navy personnel on Thursday that the Fleet Commander was undertaking "a 100% audit of all of our bathrooms across the Fleet" to provide assurance that no other service members had been exposed to a similar breach of privacy.
"You have my assurance and commitment that we will tackle this act of sexual violence with all of our energy. Any perpetrator will be held to account," he said in a statement. "Further, you should all know that eradicating sexual violence in our workplace is fundamental to the fighting efficiency of our Navy."
The recording device was discovered on October 11 aboard HMAS Leeuwin while the ship was docked in Cairns. Defence confirmed an Australian Defence Force member had been identified as a person of interest in the investigation and was assisting the Joint Military Police Unit with its enquiries.
"Navy's focus and priority is providing support to those who are impacted by this incident," Defence said in a statement.
The incident has prompted a cascade of political reaction in Canberra. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the case was "utterly unacceptable". Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said Defence should "clean up" its culture and called for an independent body outside the ADF to deal with the matter, arguing the only way to stop such incidents was "taking it out of Defence's hands".
Communications Minister Anika Wells described the incident as "horrible", saying: "I really feel for all of the people on that ship who are learning this and the people that may have been victims of this act." She said victims deserved to feel safe in their workplace and described the rise of tech-facilitated abuse as "horrific".
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The navy is sweeping every bathroom on every vessel, an acknowledgement that a single device may not be an isolated incident.
- The Chief of Navy has officially classified the discovery as sexual violence, setting the frame for discipline and possible criminal proceedings.
- Political reaction in Canberra signals renewed pressure on Defence over how it investigates misconduct within its own ranks.
Background
The Australian Defence Force has faced years of public scrutiny over sexual misconduct and the treatment of women in the military, with the handling of allegations inside the military justice system a recurring point of political debate in Australia. The discovery on HMAS Leeuwin places those questions back in the spotlight, and the navy's leadership has responded with a visible, fleet-wide reassurance effort. Buckley became Chief of Navy this year.
Key Perspectives
Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Matt Buckley: Has condemned the incident as a "despicable betrayal of trust" and an act of sexual violence, promised that any perpetrator will be held to account and ordered the fleet-wide audit to reassure personnel.
Defence: Confirmed an ADF member has been identified as a person of interest and is assisting the Joint Military Police Unit, and said the priority is supporting those affected by the incident.
Federal politicians: Opposition Leader Angus Taylor described the incident as unacceptable, Communications Minister Anika Wells said victims deserve to feel safe in their workplace, and Senator Jacqui Lambie called for an independent body outside the ADF to handle such matters, arguing Defence cannot deal with its own culture.
What to Watch
- Whether the Joint Military Police Unit investigation leads to charges against the identified person of interest.
- Whether the fleet-wide bathroom audit finds any additional recording devices on other ships.
- Whether the government responds to Senator Lambie's proposal for an independent body to deal with ADF misconduct.