Defence Force investigating rape allegation

The Defence Force is investigating an historical rape allegation made by an Australian sailor.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the sailor claimed she was violently drugged and raped while on a 2007 exchange with the Royal New Zealand Navy in Singapore.

The Defence Force has responded by launching an investigation into the alleged rape.

‘‘The NZDF takes all allegations of offending, especially sexual offending, seriously,’’ a spokesperson said.

‘‘The allegations reported in the Daily Telegraph are deeply concerning and describe behaviour that is wholly unacceptable in the Royal New Zealand Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force.’’

The NZDF spokesperson said any serious offending overseas was investigated like it had occurred in New Zealand.

‘‘We invite the person to come forward to the NZDF Military Police and make a formal report, if she wishes to.’’

The soldier, identified as ‘‘Jennifer’’, said a senior officer invited her out for drinks before allegedly spiking her beer.

Jennifer was 26 years old at the time and said she was hazy after only having two beers, ‘‘which is why I know my drink was spiked’’.

‘‘One of the seniors said I looked like I should go back to the ship and asked if I wanted a taxi back.

‘‘I said yes, I knew something was wrong even if I couldn’t pinpoint what,’’ she said.

Jennifer said she remembered having trouble speaking or controlling her limbs and believed she passed out.

Her next memories were of being sexually assaulted, she said.

She reported what had happened to her supervisor the next day, but her alleged rape was dismissed, she said.

‘‘He said he had heard I went to a hotel with the senior sailor willingly and said he wouldn’t tell my husband,’’ she said.

Jennifer said she suppressed the memory of the alleged rape for the next nine years before writing to the Australian Commonwealth Ombudsman in 2018.

The ombudsman acknowledged her ‘‘courage’’ in reporting the abuse, but it did not suggest any mental health support and replied a year later saying the allegation was ‘‘outside its jurisdiction’’.

Jennifer said she believed the Australian Defence Force had a duty of care to address the fact her supervisor on the Navy ship actively dissuaded her from reporting being raped.