Defence Minister Stephen Smith has described as "very concerning" claims teenage cadets were deprived of sleep and detained for 17 hours during investigations into the Skype sex scandal at the Australian Defence Academy.
A complaint made to Australian Defence Force investigators includes allegations that a lieutenant was assaulted in the presence of top brass following heated discussions about the case,
News Limited newspapers said on Monday.
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Mr Smith confirmed there was a defence force inquiry into the claims.
"As far as the allegations of sleep deprivation are concerned, they're very serious allegations, very concerning of course," he told Sky News on Monday.
Mr Smith said the two senior officers claimed to have witnessed the assault of defence lawyer Lieutenant-Commander Bryan Cook have said "no such thing occurred in their presence".
It is alleged that Lieutenant-Commander Cook, who represents the two male cadets at the centre of the sex scandal, was manhandled and pushed by a ranking officer.
"We need to take these matters seriously, and we are," Mr Smith said.
"They are being investigated as we speak."
The two cadets have been charged with using a carriage service to offend after one of them had consensual sex with a female cadet, broadcast via Skype to other cadets in another room at the academy in Canberra.
