Navy 'sex games' being investigated in Australia

July 5, 4:02 AMInternational LGBT Issues ExaminerKelvin Lynch

Previous Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the International LGBT Issues Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

                   HMAS Success

Reports are coming out of Australia that some male sailors in the Royal Navy are being investigated for competing with each other, having sex with their female colleagues for cash prizes.  Among the biggest prizes?  Sex with a lesbian.

According to Channel Seven news in Sydney, male sailors on board HMAS Success put a cash value on each woman's head.  Sleeping with a female officer or a lesbian, or having sex in a strange place such as a pool table, won more money.

The Navy confirmed to ABC News Australia that four members of the HMAS Success's company were removed from the ship in Singapore in May after female crew members made complaints about the alleged sex game.

"Once these allegations were made known, Navy acted immediately by removing those sailors allegedly involved in the matter from the ship and referring the matter to the independent Australian Defense Force Investigative Service (ADFIS) for action,"said Navy chief Vice Admiral Russ Crane. 

The Royal Australian Navy has experienced a series of scandals involving misconduct by sailors, although fewer in recent years as the country's Defense Department has implemented tough zero tolerance policies aimed at achieving a harassment-free workplace.  Past misconduct has included incidents of drunken and offensive misconduct both at home and abroad, as well as sexual assaults. 

Between 2005 and 2007, there were 102 complaints of sexual offenses or sexual harassment in the Navy, according to figures provided by the Defense Department.  In 2007, a female sailor revealed she had been groped by a senior officer, and her mother had been raped when she was a Navyl medic 30 years earlier. The previous year, an investigation revealed a widespread failure to combat bullying, harassment or sexism. Amongst the investigation's findings was the revelation that female naval trainees were forced to exercise in revealing singlets at the officer training school, HMAS Creswell. In 1997,  five women claimed they had put up with several years of sexual abuse and assault while serving in the Royal Australian Navy and that Navy authorities had failed to deal with the matter.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard told the Australian media she wants a full investigation so women do not feel excluded from serving their country.  "As a nation ... we've been saying for a long period of time we want men and women to be able to join the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and to have good careers in it," she said.

Scroll down to leave comments.