Oct. 24 (UPI) — Four former Australian servicewomen filed a class action lawsuit in federal court in Sydney on Friday, alleging they were victims of sexual violence.
Thousands of female soldiers were set to join the lawsuit against the Australian Defense Force, alleging widespread, systemic sexual violence and harassment, including rape, assault, molestation, forcible kissing, discrimination and bullying.
Women who suffered sexual violence, sexual harassment or discrimination while serving in any capacity in the Army, Navy, Air Force or training institutions over a 21-year period from November 2003 to May 2025 are eligible to join the action.
The lead law firm on the suit, JGA Saddler, did not give a figure on the recompense it hoped to secure for women who signed up to take part, stressing that it was not only about money but affecting change amid ADF denials and refusal to address the issue.
“The damages sought will be the subject of expert evidence throughout the proceedings, however damages will be an amount which makes the highest levels of our government and the Defense Force take this issue seriously,” said JGA Saddler director Joshua Aylward.
“The experiences of many of these ADF women has changed their lives. We know that no amount of compensation can remove what has happened to them, however substantial compensation needs to be paid in recognition of what’s happened to them and significant enough to force the ADF to actually make the changes that are necessary.”
The lawsuit comes after 10 month-long arbitration effort by the Human Rights Commission failed to resolve the matter.
The ADF insisted it was dealing with the issue, with a spokesperson saying there was “no place for sexual violence” in the armed forces and that the military was working on a strategy for sexual misconduct.
“All defense personnel have a right to be respected and deserve to have a positive workplace experience in the ADF,” the spokesperson said.
The claims of the women included being groped while pinned against a wall and awaking naked and battered after partying with male officers.
One claimant, a former Air Force member, who served in premises where the male-to-female ratio was 100 to 1, alleged she was treated with hostility, targeted with sexist comments and inappropriate exchanges and was shown pornographic photos she had not consented to view.
A second claimant, a member of the navy, alleged she was the target of obscene comments and groping throughout her time training. While on an overseas deployment, she alleged she was grabbed and kissed by a colleague against her will.
Aylward, from JGA Saddler, said the accounts showed that, for female personnel in the ADF, fear of sexual violence at their place of work often outweighed the threat to their safety posed by war.
A final report of the Royal Commission looking into suicide in the Australian military and the role of sexual violence last year found that around 800 sexual assault claims were made between 2019 and 2024.
It estimated such incidents were 60% under-reported and that sexual misconduct levels overall were likely even higher as as it constituted “only a subset” all sexual misconduct incidents.
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