Misconduct Allegations
The Resistance to Interrogation (RTI) and Conduct After Capture (CAC) courses have been accused of serious misconduct including torture, sexual and physical assault, breaching human rights, intimidating safety staff, and more.
The Five Techniques
The Five techniques are illegal torture techniques that involve the combined use of:
1. Sleep Deprivation
2. Stress Positions (especially wall-standing)
3. Hooding (or other blindfolding)
4. Subjection to Noise
5. Food and Drink Deprivation
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To read more about the history of the Five Techniques and their status as a form of torture click the button below.
The Five techniques were first alluded to in Questions on Notice submitted by Daryl Melham (ALP), Member for Banks in 2004. Most of the techniques were confirmed by the Minister representing the Minister of Defence, De-Anne Kelly (Nats), Minister of Veterans Affairs and Member for Dawson.
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She confirmed Sleep deprivation, Food deprivation, and Blindfolding is done.
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In the 2014 Book, 'Redback One' by Robert Macklin, Stuart Bonner describes his RTI training as involving hooding, stress positions, food and sleep deprivation.
In 2016, Jacqui Lambie using Parliamentary privilege shared that Evan Donaldson was sleep deprived, hooded, placed in stress positions, subjected to noise, and deprived of food.
In 2022, Damien de Pyle shared that he was also sleep deprived, hooded, placed in stress positions, subjected to loud repetitive noises such as babies crying, and deprived of food.
Water Torture
The Water torture techniques that have been allegedly used are:
1. Being fire hosed while naked/semi-naked
2. Being fully submerged in Icy water while hooded
3. Waterboarding
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All of the Water torture techniques were described by Stuart Bonner in Robert Macklin's book, 'Redback One'. To read these parts of the book click the link below.
The fire hose technique was also alleged by Dr Steven Scally in an article by the Guardian in 2022.
Sexual Assault
While there may be more examples of sexual assault happening in this course, the two incidents that we know about are from Evan Donaldson and Damien de Pyle.
Evan Donaldson claimed he was sexually assaulted during his RTI course which left him with an anal tear. This claim was reported by the ABC here.
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Damien de Pyle claims he was forced to simulate rape on a child doll with a dildo and forced to use the dildo to simulate ejaculating onto a Bible. His claims were reported by the Guardian here.
Suicide Rate
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide found that 5 veterans who had completed the Conduct After Capture Level C training had since committed suicide.
That would make the suicide rate of people who participated in this course 455 per 100,000. For comparison, the Australian Suicide rate is 12 per 100,000, and the veteran suicide rate is 31 per 100,000.
The suicide rate for those who complete the CAC Level C course is 38 times higher than the national suicide rate, and 15 times higher than the veteran suicide rate.
Humiliation and Dehumanisation
A Freedom of Information request has found that the course uses a 'prop box' full of various items including sex toys, the Bible and Koran, dog collars and bowls, women's underwear, and homosexual porn to humiliate and dehumanise participants in this course.
The Herald Sun reported on it here. The Guardian reported on these techniques here.
You can find the FOI request here.
Other allegations
Physical assault which has been alleged by Evan Donaldson, Stuart Bonner, and Damien de Pyle.
Use of police dogs to intimidate which was confirmed by De-Anne Kelly, the minister representing the minister for defence.
Using RTI training as a way to train Army Interrogators was claimed by Evan Donaldson, Stuart Bonner, and Submission 9 from the Senate Inquiry.
The use of Nudity as a Stressor was confirmed by De-Anne Kelly and from documentation produced by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
Damien de Pyle also claims he was forced to renounce his religion, a breach of his human rights.