Whistleblower's plea to remove gag orders ahead of landmark ADF sexual violence inquiry
Key takeaways
- The Defence and Veterans' Service Commission is set to lead an inquiry into military sexual violence within the ADF.
- "This is a real opportunity in Australia now to reckon with sexual violence, especially in the military," said Regina Featherstone, a senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre.
- The inquiry into military sexual violence was a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The Defence and Veterans' Service Commission is set to lead an inquiry into military sexual violence within the ADF. (ABC News: Patrick Thomas)
Link copied Share Share article. The first hearings as part of a landmark inquiry into military sexual violence could be mere weeks away, but advocates in the space fear it will be "half-baked", unless the Department of Defence lifts gag orders.
The Human Rights Law Centre, charities and campaigners have penned a letter to the Chief of Defence and multiple federal government ministers, urging them to provide permanent amnesty to victims of sexual violence who are bound by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) so they can participate in the inquiry.