Defence has confirmed 12 former Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) cadets allegedly involved in a series of sexual assaults in the 1990s remain in its ranks.
They include full-time personnel and reservists, up to the equivalent of major, a senate committee heard under parliamentary privilege in Canberra on Wednesday.
But the prospect of prosecution appeared to be receding.
Only six of their alleged victims had contacted the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce and none had agreed to their cases being referred to civilian police.
Acting Australian Defence Force (ADF) Chief Air Marshal Mark Binskin said defence was assessing what further action could be taken.
"All options available will be considered and those cases where the alleged perpetrator is still providing active duty, will be considered in priority," he told the senate estimates hearing.
The so-called "ADFA 24" case relates to 15 cases of rape and nine of sexual assault allegedly committed by male ADFA cadets against female cadets between 1994 and 1998.
They were never properly investigated at the time.
Following the formation of the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce, headed by retired judge Len Roberts-Smith, last year defence referred the cases for further investigation.
Air Marshal Binskin said defence recently received the taskforce's assessment, which identified plausible allegations against 12 defence members.
Defence had made clear what could happen to those responsible for misconduct, he said.
Recently, six defence members linked to a series off offensive emails were discharged along with a cadet involved in the ADFA Skype scandal, and sailors allegedly responsible for misconduct aboard HMAS Ballarat were removed from the vessel and returned to Australia.
"Our message to ADF personnel and the Australian public is clear and a number of us have stated this quite publicly on many occasions," Air Marshal Binskin said.
"We will not accept or excuse illegal offensive or discriminatory behaviour.
"Such behaviour contradicts our defence values and will have decisive consequences."
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