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Australian soldiers during an exercise
Photo: SGT DAVID HICKS/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX
The Australian armed forces face allegations of unnecessary violence.
As part of its training program, the army is said to have staged torture and rape scenes that caused severe trauma in individual soldiers.
The Guardian reports, citing a complaint before the Australian Human Rights Commission.
According to the Guardian, a civil lawsuit against the training methods is being prepared.
Specifically, it is about the "Conduct After Capture Level C" training program, which is intended to prepare soldiers for the correct behavior after capture.
In the program, the participants are exposed to a "prisoner game" for more than 72 hours, which also contains torture-like elements.
"I thought they really killed one of the prisoners"
A former soldier, Damien De Pyle, has told the Guardian about disturbing elements in the torture units.
Even after several hours of sleep deprivation, he was supposed to renounce his Christian faith and simulate masturbation on a Bible.
He was then forced to perform sexual acts on a child's doll.
"It was a little girl and basically I was told to rape her with a dildo," De Pyle told The Guardian.
A supervisor took his hand and encouraged him to make the thrusting movements.
If he doesn't comply, a fellow prisoner who has also been captured will be killed.
"I was so detached from reality, I thought they were actually killing one of the prisoners," De Pyle said.
He felt extremely hurt.
He and other soldiers experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after the training.
The new allegations are based on old allegations.
Five years ago, the Australian Senate had an investigation carried out to determine whether the military's torture training met established standards.
At the time, soldiers had testified that they were undressed and tied up during the program.
In some cases there was sleep and food deprivation throughout the program, and individuals were intimidated with dogs or hosed down with cold water.
The Senate recognized the need for such training, but expressed concern as to whether and how individual elements of the prisoner game would need to be implemented.
The Ministry of Defense was then obliged to reform its program.
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