Defence Forces inquiry begins public hearings into culture of abuse and complaints handling

A Defence Forces tribunal has begun public hearings into allegations of abuse and failures in complaints processes.

The Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry is dealing with “urgent matters of public importance”, including allegations of “torture and rape”, relating to a workplace unlike any other, the tribunal’s senior counsel said in his opening address on Wednesday.

Speaking at the first module of public hearings in Dublin, Michael Cush SC said allegations of a culture of abusive behaviour in the Defence Forces, as exposed by RTÉ in 2021, “demanded attention and action”.