When officers are found to be negligent, insiders say, rather than charging them the ADF uses early retirement to let them leave quietly. On the face of it, the military provides an aggrieved soldier with many opportunities for justice. He can rely on the chain of command, reporting to his immediate superiors or a company commander and eventually to the commanding officer. If that route is blocked, the soldier can approach the unit's equity officer, the padre, the regimental medical officer, or a complaints hotline. I personally have confidence in what we've laid down here.
Some senior officers cite the growing number of complaints as proof that soldiers trust the system.
But not all soldiers are happy about the results. One servicewoman says she was inspired to train as an equity officer by the inadequate response her claims of sexual harassment received-and found three other harassment victims in the same course. Gates told the inquiry, without a hint of irony, that the woman's experiences would make her a better equity officer. We have got to digest it and believe it. In early 1999, as it was winding up its original inquiry, the parliamentary committee considered establishing a Directorate of Military Prosecutions, akin to that in the United Kingdom.