Royal Commission probe: Sexually abused cadets kept mum for fear of being branded ‘gay’

Three of the Australian Defence Force (AFD) former junior cadets who suffered sexual abuse in the hands of navy officers when they were teens told the Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse they were threatened to shut up or face consequences. Besides the threat, the cadets feared being branded as gays after being forced into oral or anal sex with other recruits.

Peter Sinclair, former governor of New South Wales and a senior naval officer, told the commission on Wednesday that the Navy received confidential orders in 1965 that linked with homosexuality and communism would be discharged from service. That would explain why hundreds of young recruits, now in their 40s and 50s, preferred not to talk about their ordeal, reports Herald Sun.

At that time, homosexuality was still considered a mental illness. According to Behaviorism and Mental Health, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the list of mental ailments only in 1974.

Two years before it was removed from the list, Sinclair was sent to boost morale in HMAS Leeuwin in 1972 when the sexual abuse scandal initially broke out a year earlier. But Sinclair told the commission he still favours having initiation rites for ADF cadets even if he admits the ceremonies could go out of hand, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

He defends the initiation ceremonies as part of the naval culture for centuries. Sinclair clarifies, “Initiation itself is not a bad thing. If it is an initiation that involves bastardy and abuse and physical abuse and denigration, of course, that’s not to be condoned.”

Although the former governor, a naval officer for 41 years, concedes that the assaults went on even if became in charge of the naval vessel, Sinclair says his actions to address the abuses were nevertheless “successful” since there were no complaints of sexual abuse from junior recruits since he came on board.

However, he also acknowledges the fear of being discharged after being labeled “gay” could be the reason behind the non-reporting by abused cadets.

VIDEO: Teenage recruits suffered horrific abuse at HMAS Leeuwin naval base