Taskforce head says it is not clear whether newly identified officers would be subject to action by the ADF or by police

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The head of the taskforce investigating sexual abuse claims in the Australian Defence Force says he expects more officers will be identified.

The chairman of the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce, Len Roberts-Smith, told the ABC’s Four Corners more perpetrators could be identified, although it was not clear whether they would be subject to action by the ADF or by police.



"We need to grapple with that issue," he said. "We do expect to have a lot of names that weren't identified previously."



The taskforce was established in November 2012 following a DLA Piper report into allegations of sexual abuse within the ADF.

The Four Corners program to be aired on Monday night will report that some alleged offenders are still working within the ADF in senior roles.



One victim from the Australian Defence Force Academy, Kellie Gunnis, told the program she was sexually assaulted by a superior officer who was supervising her recovery after she attempted suicide.



"He was my superior. After it happened I felt wrong. Nothing felt right," she said.



The taskforce has tabled five interim reports since it was established, and the defence minister, David Johnston, announced the taskforce’s operations would be continued until November 2014.



Another report to be tabled in parliament during its next sitting will contain more serious allegations, including navy personnel as young as 15 being beaten and scrubbed until they bled, the Australian reported.

