Overview
- A covert recording device was discovered in a women’s bathroom aboard HMAS Leeuwin while the ship was docked in Cairns on Sunday, October 11.
- The Royal Australian Navy carried out a fleet-wide audit after the discovery and reported no other devices were found.
- A person of interest was identified on October 15 and has been stood down from duty with pay, a step the Chief of Navy described as normal convention during an active investigation.
- The Joint Military Police Unit and Defence are leading the probe with assistance from the Australian Federal Police, and investigators say they have found no evidence so far that any recorded material was shared.
- The case has drawn political attention after Senator Jacqui Lambie raised claims footage may have been uploaded, senior Defence figures condemned the act, and the navy says it is providing welfare support and reviewing procedures for personnel privacy.