In Australian army recruits teenagers were raped by the staff. Senior military reported that it was a kind of ritual of initiation.

Royal Commission hears cases of bygone days about the rape and beating of recruits in the Australian army. Atrocities had occurred in the 1960s, 70s and 80s years.

A total of 111 victims came forward to report abuse. More than a dozen of them will testify at the inquiry in Sydney until 1 July. "Several times, I was torn from my bed in the middle of the night older recruits and dragged me to the gym," said one of the victims.

One of the witnesses said that they forced raped recruits on the orders of senior officers. "It was useless to resist," he said. "To say "no" was meaningless. Many victims tried to complain to management, but they said that it was a "ritual" during their initiation.

Another witness, 65-year-old Graham Fraser, says 16-year-old marine recruit in 1967, he was "horrified" when he was pulled from the shower, beaten and sexually assaulted by three other recruits. He told how one of the recruits tried to persuade him to perform oral sex.

The representative of the Ministry of defence of Australia told CNN that "cooperating with the Royal Commission and supports its objectives for the protection of children. We recognize and commend the courage of those who will tell their stories about personal suffering during the hearing.
sections: World News, Accidents, Accidents