Australian new body for addressing sexual offenses

CANBERRA - The Australian Defense has adopted a "fundamental change" in the way it handles sexual misconduct, with a new body the Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Office (SeMPRO), to allow victims to report incidents confidentially.

It was announced by Minister for Defense Stephen Smith and Chief of the Defense Force General David Hurley on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Canberra, General David Hurley said the launch of the SeMPRO was considerably more than a new support mechanism for victims of sexual offenses.

According to him, from July 23 SeMPRO will offer 24/7 confidential support for victims of sexual assault. It will act as a central data point to analyze prevalence and identify specific trends or risk factors that enable officers to implement targeted prevention and education strategies across the defense.

Hurley said SeMPRO will be staffed by military personnel and public servants and will also coordinate responses and victim support and education.

"Unlike our previous approach, the victim - not the system - will now decide if and when to report a matter for investigation," he said.

"By introducing SeMPRO and restricted reporting or confidential disclosure, we are emphasizing our focus on caring for and supporting people who have experienced sexual misconduct," He said.