Investigations are underway into the handling of the alleged rape of an Australian Defence Force trainee by another member

For Jane* it was supposed to be a celebratory evening.

Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find disturbing.

But instead, Jane says, that evening she and her fellow Australian Defence Force (ADF) soldiers were sexually assaulted twice by someone she trusted.

On the first night, she said, she went out with several colleagues and was assigned a “battle buddy” – a partner who made sure that people were not alone while going out.

She said she considered him a friend and had a good relationship with all of her colleagues.

“We had common interests.”

During the trip, Jane said she became “really sick,” and her combat buddy took her back to the hotel where the group was staying.

Jane said she was told she had been booked into a room with four single beds, but upon arrival she discovered the room had two queen-size beds.

She said the sleeping arrangement required her to share a bed with her battle buddy, but she trusted him because he was in a relationship.

Jane said she was attacked while vomiting and losing consciousness, but could not remember if she was raped.

The next evening the group went out for dinner and drinks before returning to the hotel.

Jane said she went to dinner because her memories of the previous evening were blurry.

“I wasn’t sure if it was real… I didn’t remember absolutely everything until much later,” she said.

She said she went out for another drink the second night because she wanted to be in the company of friends.

“I was a little worried because I was left alone this weekend,” she said.

Jane said her comrade-in-arms became drunk, so part of the group walked back to the hotel, where she said she again felt sick and dizzy.

She claimed she was attacked in bed by her comrade-in-arms that night and said she could clearly remember parts of the incident.

“When the first penetration happened, I freaked out and was able to knock him out and go to the bathroom.”

She claims her attacker cornered her in the bathroom, stroked her back and apologized.

Incident reported to Victoria Police chain of command

When Jane visited medical staff at the ADF health centre, she told a doctor what had allegedly happened to her.

The alleged incident was also reported to Jane’s chain of command.

She said she was hesitant about reporting the incident.

Eventually, she told a nurse she wanted to escalate the matter and military police referred her to Victoria Police to file a complaint.

Two days after the alleged rape, a report was filed.

Victoria Police have confirmed that investigations into the alleged assaults are ongoing.

The ABC understands that the ADF is cooperating fully with Victoria Police in this matter.

“They just saw me as a problem”

In August 2023, Jane complained to the Directorate of Military Redress and Review, which enables defence members to complain about an action relating to their service in the ADF.