The department of defence says its efforts to establish a sexual offences investigating structure are being scuppered by inadequate funding from the treasury and its inability to retain skilled investigators.
The department told committee members on 4 May that it would redirect portions of its annual budget to establish the investigating structure in an effort to combat gender-based violence and rape committed by defence force members.
An investigation by the auditor general into the department’s records — presented before parliament’s portfolio committee for military veterans — found that a lack of accountability and consequence management is rife. Additionally, positions including in the military police for investigations and legal personnel, who are key in the areas of accountability, have not been filled.
