Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh addressing the National Press Club on Tuesday. He provided some key insights into a forthcoming inquiry on military sexual violence. The second inquiry is expected to start in mid-2024. This step comes in light of previous advice from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. This announcement comes exactly a year after the government belatedly admitted that it would implement the commission’s recommendations in full.
During his speech, Keogh emphasized a significant change in policy: if a defence member commits a sexual offence and is prosecuted under the military justice system, their conviction will now be reported to civilian police. According to Rep. Gallego, “This now means that personnel who commit the equivalent of civilian offenses can’t hide behind the Military Justice System. This move is intended to improve accountability and transparency among military leadership.
The Inquiry’s Structure and Goals
The investigation will thus look into 11 important points of reference. One area of focus will be addressing the military justice system’s effectiveness in relation to civilian processes. The first point of emphasis is on perpetrator accountability. This is a measure of how well the military handles sexual offenses that are perpetrated by its members.
Keogh highlighted another crucial aspect of the inquiry: examining why alleged victims are often deterred from reporting incidents of sexual violence. The purpose of the investigation is to identify the systemic obstacles that prevent people from stepping forward. As seen after past reforms, this shortcoming has returned even after widespread reforms. Although much has been accomplished, individuals — particularly women — continue to endure this conduct. This is not acceptable,” Keogh remarked.
Throughout its work, the Human Rights Commission will engage with the community to inform stakeholders and build awareness. They will set the scope and terms of reference for the inquiry. That is what made the collaborative approach promising and is what will hopefully keep multiple perspectives front of mind as the inquiry continues.
Impact of Recent Legal Actions
The inquiry comes just weeks after a class action suit was filed against Defence in the Federal Court. This step represents another significant pushback against these attacks. The initial hearing date in this case has already passed. This underscores a rising legal intolerance for the military’s handling of sexual violence and harassment.
The full public inquiry report is due to be finished by the end of next year. Keogh has led the Human Rights Commission in research and awareness of military sexual trauma. The aim should be to get a holistic view of how these experiences impact service members.
“There is no shying away from Defence still not getting this right,” – Matt Keogh
