ADF whistleblower breaks 15-year silence on sexual abuse cover-up
Women who speak up about sexual abuse and harassment should be supported, not silenced. Unfortunately, Australian laws are failing people who blow the whistle.
On 60 Minutes and 9Fairfax, multiple women spoke about abuse in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), including our client Julia Delaforce who shared that in 2010 she was sexually harassed at knifepoint in a NSW military base by a drunken, machete-wielding senior male corporal. She was then instructed by her superiors to drive her assailant home.
Julia complained internally and then to the Australian Human Rights Commission, leading to the Inquiry into the Treatment of Women in the ADF. But the settlement out-of-court silenced Julia from speaking out about her experiences. Subsequently, Julia lost her career and has suffered complex PTSD since.
The Human Rights Law Centre’s Whistleblower Project is Australia’s first dedicated legal service to help people come forward and speak out when they witness or experience wrongdoing and harm. We also advocate for stronger laws and a National Whistleblower Protection Authority to stop people like our client Julia from suffering from retaliation and reprisals for speaking up.
“For fifteen years I was silent. I asked for help so many times: from inside the ADF, to multiple Defence Ministers and even to the Prime Minister over many years. Yet instead of the corporal who sexually harassed me being punished, I was the one punished. I couldn’t speak about the abuse and coverup in the ADF which led me to losing my career and suffering complex PTSD. The Human Rights Law Centre helped me get my voice back.”
When people like Julia have the courage to come forward, they shouldn’t fear losing their job and their right to speak out on harm they experienced or witnessed. Instead of helping Julia, the ADF focused its efforts on managing its reputation, pushed Julia out of her career, and turned a blind eye to abuse, enabling more women to suffer sexual harassment and assault at work.
With your support, we will continue defending our clients and pushing for just laws and a National Whistleblower Protection Authority to support and protect whistleblowers to tell the truth about wrongdoing.
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