1,000 abuse claims made in Defence inquiry
More than 1,000 people have made allegations of sexual and other abuse of Defence personnel, according to the legal firm leading a government-ordered inquiry.
The inquiry forms part of a wide investigation of Defence after the story of a female cadet at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) being filmed while having sex made its way into the media.
"Some of the communications involve allegations of multiple incidents or issues," DLA Piper said in a statement.
"The allegations range from relatively minor matters to very serious matters.
"Some of the allegations are made by victims or parents or partners of victims, some are made by witnesses and some are made by people who have no direct knowledge of the incident which they allege or report."
Although the deadline for reporting to the inquiry has passed, DLA Piper says it will continue to receive allegations even though it might not be able to be included in any final report.
In the wake of fresh allegations revealed by the ABC earlier this month, there was a spike in allegations received by the inquiry.
"The review is carefully considering how best to gather more detailed information from all people who have contacted the review," DLA Piper said.
"We need to proceed with care because the issues involved are serious and sensitive.
"We are taking advice on our processes from an expert in dealing with victims of sexual abuse."
DLA Piper also responded to concerns about the review process, including potential conflicts of interest arising from DLA Piper having previously worked for Defence and one of the lawyers, Dennis Pearce, being a former Defence ombudsman.
The firm says if cases overlap with DLA Piper's previous responsibilities, the allegations will be referred to the current ombudsman.
The law firm has also denied the process is a cover-up and says it would not be involved in a sham.
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