She is known only as ‘Kate’.
Two-and-a-half years ago, her story blew open the tightly closed doors of the Australian Defence Forces and exposed the types of institutionalised sexism and bad behaviour that have made headlines since.
Last night, Kate, her face blacked out, spoke publicly for the first time about her ordeal, in an interview with ABC’s 7.30 Report.
20-year-old Kate was the young woman involved in the now infamous ADFA Skype sex scandal.
Back in 2011, she began a casual relationship with a fellow cadet, Daniel McDonald. The pair had consensual sex but McDonald did not get permission to film and broadcast the act. And yet – that’s exactly what he did.
Their encounter was broadcast via webcam to six other classmates at ADFA, who were sitting in another room. Sill photographs of the video were then circulated among other cadets at the academy using mobile phones.
In August, two men were found guilty of charges relating to the Skype sex scandal: Daniel McDonald himself, now 21, and Dylan Deblaquiere, 20. They were both found guilty of sending offensive material over the internet without consent. McDonald was further found guilty of an act of indecency against Kate.
But last month, McDonald and Deblaquiere faced the ACT Supreme Court, and received only 12-month good-behaviour bonds over the incident. In sentencing, Acting Justice John Nield said he had struggled with whether or not the young men should face a jail term, but ultimately concluded that, “I have given this question thorough and anxious thought … and the answer must be, and is, no.”
Kate, who says she has lost her career, livelihood, health and education as a result, has said that the sentence sets a “really scary example” – and she believes ‘it’s going to act as a deterrent for other victims of similar crimes to come forward.’
Deblaquiere has since left ADFA, freely and by his own choice.
McDonald has recently served a suspension from the academy for allegedly founding the defence group ‘Love of my Life’ – which required members to perform homosexual sex acts on each other.
McDonald has just been allowed to return to study.
Kate, on the other hand, is about to be discharged from the military, on psychological and medical grounds.
“We have a convicted criminal now being sponsored through taxpayers’ money to continue his education when the victim is being kicked out,” Kate said in her interview with ABC. “How is that fair?”
Even after the Skype sex scandal broke, Kate said that she wanted to continue to pursue a career in the military. But at every turn she encountered setbacks, and has revealed that she was harassed at various ADF bases around the country.
‘I suffered victimisation and bastardisation, it seemed, from every angle in my life when it came to the Defence Force…it follows you everywhere you go,” she said.
Kate told the ABC “I couldn’t leave my room except to go to work because the boys in the room across from me thought it was fun to terrorise me and call me the Skype slut continually every time I left my room.”
Kate has also accused the Defence Force of leaking information to discredit her in the media – and says she wants to take legal action.
In her interview she revealed that, “there was an incident where my medical records [were] obtained without the correct permission … ”
“There was a news story about sensitive personal information that only could come from my medical documents, including the fact that I was on the contraceptive pill at the time.”
Defence has denied leaking Kate’s medical records.
Kate says that her intention to pursue further legal action is partly “about getting me the resources that I need to start my life again” – but also because she wants to see a real change to the culture within the ADF.
In her interview, Kate explained that ‘it’s definitely at a great personal cost that I came forward with the issues, but I don’t regret coming forward from it. First and foremost, it’s about bringing about cultural change within the Defence Force.’ She believes that her case, and other similar cases, have highlighted a very real need for change for women within the defence force.
“When are we going to see change?’ Kate asked. ‘When are we going to see these people made answer for their actions? When are we going to see victims better protected and supported?”
Do you think the sentence the young men received is appropriate? Are you or do you know any female members of the defence forces? What has been their experience?
Top Comments
After reading all the responses I found this previous case which is another example of some of the apes in the defence force namely those who covered up this incident: http://www.news.com.au/nati...
Whilst what they did was wrong in streaming via Skype, that is where my symphathy for "Kate" stops. There is more to every story. And whilst there may be a problem within Defence, its not in every job or every role. From a serving female, with over 10 years of service, not once in my whole career have I been a victim of anything. And I have been in units where I was the only female. I have got to where I am by giving my all to serve overseas and in my daily job. I am not saying it isn't a problem but please just realise that not every woman in Defence has a bad story to tell or is a victim. Some of us still love our job and everything it entails and wouldn't change it for the world.
Thank you for your post. I also spent over 10 years in the military and sometimes think they were some of the best years of my life and certainly experienced no harassment. As I wrote in an earlier post the nastiest people I met were the old female Nursing Officers. The cadets involved in the ADFA skype scandal had been there for 8 weeks - and I believe their behaviour is more of a reflection of today's society than the 3 branches of the military.