463. Australian Navy Cadets

A ritual mentioned as a rite of passage has brought the Australian Navy Cadets in the focus of the media. Several cadets mentions being forced to engage in sexual acts with older cadets as a “rite of passage”.

It seems that it was an old traditions which have continued until present day. Still active cadets were pressured not to speak about the rituals or risk being thrown out of the organization. One cadet took her own life after being victim of this pressure.

It cannot be fun to be there as a teenager.

Sources:

• Royal Australian Navy cadets ‘forced to rape each other’ (Gatton Lockyer & Brisbane Valley Star)
• Australian Defence Force cadets forced to perform vile sex acts on each other in horrific initiations detailed at the Royal Commission into Child Sex abuse (The Daily Mail Online)
• Navy cadets forced to rape each other as leaders dismissed complaints as ‘pranks’, royal commission hears (Yahoo News)
• Former ADF recruits tell royal commission of sexual abuse, intimidation at WA naval base (ABC News)