NATION ADF to probe ‘ abuse posts’

SCORES of serving members of the Australian Defence Force are allegedly part of a Facebook group which shares material promoting domestic violence, rape and sexual abuse of children.

The Victims of Abuse in the Australian Defence Force Association has analysed 8 per cent of the 30,000 likes of the Facebook site SNAFU – Situation Normal All F**** d Up – and identified 100 serving Australian defence personnel.

Some of the material shared on the site carries misogynistic messages or cartoons and memes promoting child sex abuse.

“It shows the ongoing culture of abuse is alive and well in the Australian Defence Force,” said association secretary Jennifer Jacomb.

Administrators for the group have apologised for not properly monitoring posts and say they will revise their practices.

“The posts are clearly fensive and disturbing,” group said.

“We are sincerely sorry that we did not have in place appropriate guidelines.”

Ms Jacomb alerted Veterans Affairs Minister Dan Tehan to the site in July. A Defence spokesman said the department did not endorse the SNAFU Facebook site.

“The use of the Commonwealth logo on the SNAFU site ofthe is also not sanctioned by Defence,” the spokesman said.

“Defence has approached Facebook and requested the page be shut down for violating Facebook’s community standards.”

The defence force’s investigative service has been looking into the site to determine whether any serving members or Defence public servants have engaged in unlawful or inappropriate use of social media.

“Anyone found to have acted contrary to Defence policy will be held to account with disciplinary or administrative action being taken against them,” the spokesman said.

“Anyone found to be engaging in criminal behaviour on the site will be referred to the relevant authorities for further investigation.”

The SNAFU website went from public to private yesterday afternoon.

Our Watch chief executive Mary Barry condemned the Facebook group.

“Rape, sexual assault and child abuse are never laughing matters,” she said.

“Comments that trivialise and normalise violence against women, like those on the SNAFU Facebook page, are abhorrent.”

The SNAFU group would be seeking guidance from an organisation working to fight violence against women.