Australian female soldier reports sex assault at Afghan base
October 10th, 2011 - 4:28 pm ICT by IANSCanberra, Oct 10 (IANS) A female Australian soldier was allegedly sexually assaulted at a military base in Afghanistan, authorities confirmed Monday.
The soldier reported the assault, which she said happened at the Tarin Kot base in restive Uruzgan province, to superiors Wednesday, reported Xinhua.
“Defence does not condone inappropriate behaviour and treats such allegations seriously,” a spokesperson of the Australian Defence Department said in a statement.
“Our immediate priority at this time is to provide support and assistance to the soldier and ensure the safety and welfare of our members.”
The spokesperson said the female soldier is completing her deployment early and is returning to Australia in accordance with her wishes.
The matter is now the subject of an investigation.
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Tags: afghanistan, allegations, australia, australian defence department, australian soldier, authorities, canberra, deployment, female soldier, inappropriate behaviour, military base, priority, sex assault, spokesperson, superiors, uruzgan province, welfare, xinhua