Content warning: Contains descriptions of sexual assault.
Australian senator and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) member Rex Patrick says the Senate should “get involved” after SBS News revealed women who made allegations against US marines felt discouraged by the ADF from following through on their complaints.
Some of the survivors - including a woman who was assaulted in her own home and a woman whose drink was spiked at Robertson Barracks in Darwin - also spoke out about how they felt their cases were handled.
Senator Rex Patrick said the cases were “awful” and encouraged women to come forward.
“The allegations are awful. They, of course, need to be dealt with properly,” he said.