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Navy sex misconduct report due out

The government is set to release a report on an alleged sex ring aboard the warship HMAS Success.

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Source: AAP


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Findings from an independent inquiry into an alleged sex ring aboard a navy ship will be made public on Tuesday afternoon.

The federal government has promised to release the bulk of a report looking at sexual misconduct aboard HMAS Success between March and May 2009.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith says some details may need to be withheld to protect the rights of some of those involved.

A copy of the report was handed to defence force chief Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston in January.

He has noted the findings raised serious concerns about navy culture.

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Mr Smith has acknowledged the report contains "very concerning" matters of discipline.

The alleged sex ring, known as The Ledger, involved members detailing each female sailor they had sex with during an overseas deployment in 2009.

Sources have told AAP the report paints a devastating picture of the culture aboard the ship.

The inquiry heard reports of an entrenched culture of disrespect for women, with men putting dollar values on female crew members.

The inquiry, conducted by retired judge Roger Gyles, was launched by the defence department after an initial investigation was deemed to be biased.

"To be blunt about it, (the report) doesn't make good reading, either about the suggestions of individual conduct, or the suggestions of discipline, or the suggestions of a particular type of culture," Mr Smith said last month.

The second part of the report, looking at the way defence conducts internal investigations, will be released later in the year.


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