New Delhi: The Australian Defence Force on Wednesday found a hidden video recording device in the women’s shower block on a Royal Australian Navy ship.
The discovery came hours after Australian Senator Jacqui Lambie, a defence advocate, told parliament that she was contacted by personnel with allegations that concealed cameras had been found in the female sailors’ shower facilities.
“I was also told this had occurred recently and prevented the vessel from sailing while investigations were ongoing. Even more disturbing are claims that footage from these cameras may have been uploaded online before the cameras were discovered,” Lambie told the Australian Senate.
The defence department said on Thursday that a “person of interest” had been identified after a probe was initiated into the incident.
Navy chief Matt Buckley, in a statement, described the discovery as “the most despicable betrayal of trust”, adding that the navy was carrying out a “100% audit of all of our bathrooms across the Fleet”.
In parliament, Lambie also said that she received even more disturbing information suggesting that footage from the cameras may have already been uploaded online before the devices were discovered.
“How many of our female sailors have unknowingly been recorded in their most private moments? How much footage has been distributed online so far, retained or uploaded without knowledge or consent? These are the questions today I ask Navy,” she said.
The same day, the defence department confirmed that a video recording device was indeed found in a HMAS Leeuwin cabin.
“Defence takes this incident extremely seriously and does not tolerate unacceptable behavior in any form,” the department said in its statement.
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‘Incredibly concerning’
The incident was referred to the Joint Military Police Unit.
The statement further said that the ship “remained alongside to enable the investigation and ensure immediate support was provided to members of the ship’s crew”.
“The welfare of individuals remains Defence’s priority and support is ongoing. As the matter is currently under investigation and to protect the privacy of the affected individuals, Defence is unable to provide further comment at this time,” the statement added.
Greens leader David Shoebridge said the developments were “incredibly concerning”.
“We know many women are not feeling safe inside Defence spaces and again we say to Labor, you have got to restore faith with Defence personnel, you have got to make women and other people feel safe in Defence spaces,” he said.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)