A senior army psychologist responsible for the mental health of Australia’s deployed soldiers has accused the defence force of being more focused on covering up abuse cases than helping victims.
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Morgan’s comments follow a government report late last year that detailed more than 1,000 claims of sexual or other abuse in the forces from the 1950s to the present day, involving both men and women.
The report also highlighted brutal initiation ceremonies and depicted a culture in the military of covering up, failing to punish perpetrators and hostility towards victims who complained.
Morgan, who said he himself had been the victim of a gay hate vilification campaign, claimed that recent reviews had done nothing to change Australian Defence Force culture.
“The way army deals with abuse is entirely consistent with how you would run a cover-up,” Morgan told ABC television late Thursday.
“My personal experience tells me that the army’s abuse management strategies that I’ve seen – delay, deter and deceive – are still in force now.