THE head of a taskforce investigating alleged abuses in the defence force says he's disillusioned with the federal government's failure to act on claims - and thinks victims may be too.
DLA Piper taskforce leader Gary Rumble told a Senate Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade hearing on Thursday that he was disappointed none of the matters raised in a 2012 report had been acted on.
Law firm DLA Piper was commissioned to examine abuse allegations following the Skype scandal at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in 2011 and uncovered 775 plausible abuse allegations across every decade since the 1950s. The earliest related to events in 1951.
"I am deeply concerned that the government's lack of action and decision last year may have distressed individuals who were hoping for some response to their specific issue (and) worn down the willingness of those who told their stories ... to continue to be involved," Dr Rumble said.
He said he was worried the lack of action would encourage perpetrators and potential witnesses to think they could escape punishment.
Dr Rumble said the taskforce had been directed to write a second report for the Chief of the Defence Force and Service Chiefs but only the defence minister, Stephen Smith, had seen it.
Mr Smith wrote to him saying it would not have been appropriate for anyone other than him to see the report.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Smith told parliament new complaints to the taskforce's hotline had been building steadily since it opened last November.
At March 4, there had been 1041 complaints.
Just over 780 were made by personal phone call and in voicemail messages, while 260 were sent by email.
Taskforce chairman, retired judge Len Roberts-Smith, told Mr Smith there was no realistic prospect of its work being completed within the initial 12-month term, so the government has agreed to a six-month extension, with the taskforce now due to conclude its investigations by the end of May 2014.
As well, there will be an end-of-May 2013 deadline for new allegations to be made.
The taskforce is examining individual allegations, which if sufficiently substantiated could allow victims to claim up to $50,000 in compensation.
It is also considering whether a full royal commission is needed to address outstanding allegations at ADFA in the 1990s and allegations of sexual and other abuse of naval cadets at the former navy training centre, HMAS Leeuwin, which operated from 1960-84.
The taskforce said it appeared the abuse at Leeuwin occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.
"Much of the alleged bullying and violence appears to have been unreported," Mr Smith said.
Shadow Defence Minister David Johnston slammed the federal government's "snail pace" response and the way in which Mr Smith has handled the issue as if it were an "afterthought".
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