Deadline extended for victims of Defence Forces abuse to make submissions to tribunal
A March 2023 report detailed allegations of brutal and 'sadistic' abuse within the Defence Forces — including the rape of both male and female soldiers.
The deadline by which victims of Defence Forces abuse can make submissions to the Defence Forces Tribunal has been extended.
The tribunal’s chair has agreed to give serving and ex-soldiers until the end of September, instead of the end of August, to make their submissions.
Court of Appeal judge Ms Justice Ann Power has also agreed they will receive limited legal advice in relation to their submissions.
While it was established that the Defence Forces and the Department of Defence would have full legal representation provided throughout the course of the tribunal into the army's complaints system, those making submissions against them didn’t initially have any.
A spokesperson for the Defence Forces Justice Alliance said: “We appreciate the tribunal chair’s early understanding and accommodation of the concerns of those intending to submit.”
The umbrella group, which is made up of more than 350 serving and former army personnel affected by a variety of issues, provided the largest amount of evidenced-based submissions to the Defence Forces-Independent Review Group (DF-IRG) panel.
Its March 2023 report detailed allegations of brutal and “sadistic” abuse — including the rape of both male and female soldiers.
It concluded that “at best, the Defence Forces barely tolerate women and at its worst, verbally, physically, sexually and psychologically abuses women in its ranks”.
The report also found that “patriarchy, access to women’s bodies, viewing women as sexual objects, and the belief that seniority brings ‘privileges and protection’ are attitudes supported by notions about gender from the last century, or even the one before that”.
That report itself came off the back of an investigative panel put in place after the 2021 documentary Women of Honour.
This is the name of a group of serving and ex-serving women who raised allegations of sexism, bullying, sexual assault, and rape in the Defence Forces.
As well as legal advice now being made available to the alliance, and groups like the Women of Honour, members of the Air Corps Chemical Abuse Survivors will also benefit.
Former Air Corps Technician Gavin Tobin, who lobbied for legal advice to be available on behalf of his members, said: “It is very important that we are on an equal footing with the Defence Forces and the department.
“It gives equality to a brunch of ordinary Joes going up against the State.
“It will also be a massive plus in terms of reducing the chances of extraneous information being put into submissions.
“This is because a bulk of the legal advice will be making sure submissions adhere to the actual terms of reference.”
Honor Murphy, of the Women of Honour, said: "We are still studying the judge's ruling, which we have just received."
