Hidden Recording Device Found Inside Australian Navy Ship, Investigation Underway

CAIRNS, Australia: A hidden video recording device has been discovered inside a cabin aboard a Royal Australian Navy vessel in Queensland, prompting a military police investigation and raising serious concerns about privacy and the safety of female sailors.

The Australian Defence Force confirmed that the device was found on Sunday aboard HMAS Leeuwin while the ship was in Cairns. However, defence officials have not disclosed the exact location where it was discovered or confirmed whether it was found in a female-only area.

The disclosure followed allegations raised in the Australian Senate by independent senator Jacqui Lambie, a former military veteran and prominent defence advocate. She said naval personnel had contacted her with claims that concealed cameras had recently been discovered in shower facilities used by female sailors.

Lambie told the Senate on Wednesday that she had also been informed the discovery had prevented the vessel from sailing while investigations were underway. She further raised concerns that footage recorded by the devices may have been uploaded online before the cameras were found.

The senator questioned how many female personnel might have been recorded without their knowledge or consent and whether any footage had been shared, retained or distributed online.

Her remarks have intensified concerns about the potential violation of service members’ privacy and the possibility that private recordings could have circulated beyond the military environment.

The Australian Defence Department later confirmed it had been informed that a video recording device was discovered in a cabin aboard HMAS Leeuwin. The department did not provide further details about the device, its intended purpose or the circumstances surrounding its discovery.

Officials said the matter had been referred to the Joint Military Police Unit for investigation.

In a statement, the department said it treated the incident extremely seriously and would not tolerate unacceptable behaviour in any form.

Investigators are expected to establish how the device came to be aboard the vessel, whether it was used to record personnel and whether any footage was captured or distributed without consent. The claims concerning cameras in female sailors’ shower facilities and the alleged online distribution of recordings have not been independently confirmed by defence officials.

The case has raised broader questions about safeguarding personnel, protecting privacy aboard military vessels and ensuring that allegations of misconduct are investigated thoroughly.

The Royal Australian Navy operates in a highly controlled environment where personnel live and work in close quarters. Protecting the privacy and security of service members is therefore a critical responsibility, particularly in accommodation and other personal spaces.

Further details are expected as the military police investigation progresses.

Courtesy: BBC