Australia abuse inquiry hears of army cadet rape
- 22 June 2016
- From the section Australia
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Former teenage military cadets have told an Australia child abuse inquiry they were raped and forced to have sex with each other during their training.
More than 100 people have contacted an investigating commission to report abuse between the 1960s and 1980s.
They told the inquiry that "vicious and humiliating" attacks were often part of initiation rituals.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was set up in 2013.
Thousands of people have made submissions since it began its work investigating the abuse of children in institutions across Australia.
Much of its recent investigation has focused on abuse by Roman Catholic priests in the 1970s and '80s.
Some former Australian Defence Force (ADF) recruits told the commission on Tuesday they were physically punished and threatened with dishonourable discharge when they complained.
The commission is also investigating child protection measures in the military's current cadet programme, which has 25,000 members and encourages young people to pursue a career in the armed forces.
A total of 14 witnesses are expected to give evidence to the ADF in person.
