A former air force chaplain who fought for a decade to clear his name after being obstructed and smeared for trying to report serious allegations about a colleague’s behaviour has spoken out about his treatment for the first time, describing the chaplaincy culture as a “wolf pack”.
Ahead of Thursday’s final hearing of the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide, Joe Johns told Guardian Australia about his years-long experience after he tried in 2010 to report allegations about another male chaplain’s behaviour – particularly with women – on operations in the Middle East.
Johns, who gave evidence to the royal commission in a private session, said after he had tried to report alleged sexual harassment and irregular behaviour, the chaplaincy closed ranks and turned on him, trashing his reputation and seriously damaging his health. At least one other chaplain outlined a similar experience to the royal commission.
“What makes this the most critical and most concerning is these are people who are supposed to be the kindest, the best, the most ethical, the most caring, the go-to people when you are in trouble,” Johns said this week. “And they’re not. They’re a wolf pack.”
A US marine who became a Catholic lay chaplain, Johns joined the Royal Australian Air Force with his wife, Jean, in 2008 from Canada, where they had also worked in military pastoral care. There they had advocated for Canadian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan who believed they were being ordered to ignore the alleged abuse of young boys by local men.
Johns found that false and damaging reports of their work in Canada had preceded them to Australia, prompting a seven-year battle to correct that record and extract a formal apology – which eventually came with commendations – from the Canadian defence force and minister for defence.
In 2010 he raised concerns within the RAAF about the alleged actions of a fellow chaplain deployed in the Middle East. The allegations were examined but he alleges key witnesses were not interviewed. He was never told the result.
Johns then approached his federal MP, pressing for an inquiry into the handling of his report.
The then defence minister, Stephen Smith, ordered an inquiry in 2011.
It found the handling “somewhat clumsy” but said the chaplaincy branch had acted “in good faith”, afforded Johns procedural fairness and upheld Defence policy. It made no criticism of Johns for his original report.
“On the contrary, it is clear that, as a result of you bringing these allegations to light, more can be done to facilitate the complaints process where a genuine concern about the behaviour of a chaplain is held,” the report said.
Despite this, damaging rumours about him began to spread through the chaplaincy.
In 2017 he wrote to the then defence force chief, Air Marshal Mark Binskin.
“Your account of the lack of support provided to you in the wake of reporting the unacceptable behaviour is disappointing,” Binskin wrote in reply, praising Johns’ integrity and calling him a highly regarded role model.
Johns was assured his complaint about how he had been treated was being investigated and he would be debriefed. Neither occurred. In 2018 he complained about what he alleged was “intimidatory” correspondence from a senior chaplain. An examination found against him.
Johns then wrote to Binskin’s successor, Gen Angus Campbell, who ordered the inspector general of the Australian defence force to investigate his treatment. Johns said its report endorsed his actions in raising his original concerns. But he was prevented from revealing its contents.
“In October of 2020, I finally get all the answers to all my questions,” Johns recounted. “I can’t say what they are, but … I was gobsmacked.”
Johns said the years of stress had tested, though not broken, his faith in God. But it had destroyed his faith in military chaplains.
“I don’t trust chaplains,” he said. “I particularly don’t trust chaplains who are in leadership – who wear rank. Categorically, I don’t.”
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On 23 February last year Defence’s head of people and capability, Maj Gen Wade Stothart, wrote to the RAAF chaplaincy leadership, declaring that Johns had been the subject of “unwarranted and disparaging rumours”. Stothart quoted Binskin’s 2017 letter of appreciation as a counterpoint to the damaging falsehoods.
In a letter to Johns the same week, Campbell referenced Stothart’s acknowledgment of the damage.
“He also acknowledged the courage and integrity you displayed when you spoke up in 2010, resulting in important improvements to the behavioural standards expected of Air Force chaplains,” Campbell wrote.
In October Campbell issued a directive on “bystander behaviour”, saying a “failure to challenge, or passive acceptance of” behaviour that did not reflect Defence values eroded morale and discipline, degraded effectiveness and undermined its reputation.
“Leaders must strive to create environments where it is normal and expected for ADF members to stop or report behaviour that is not in accordance with these shared values,” the directive reads. “Should ADF members fail to do this then they must be held to account.”
Originally ordered to keep the documents confidential, Johns has now obtained a series of them under freedom of information law.
“The thing is that I have the truth now,” he said. “I have it in hand. I have my wellbeing back.”
Despite their battle, Johns said he and Jean do not regret bringing their son, Lorenzo, to Australia and becoming citizens. Johns was medically retired from the RAAF and they run St Peter’s Sacred Space, a pastoral care centre in Mintaro, South Australia, for people who have been abused by clergy.
“It’s been a blessing,” he told Guardian Australia. “You know, we love the life that we have given our son here. We love the fact that he speaks Australian English. We love the fact that he plays Aussie rules football. We love the fact that he loves being here.”
His voice wavered as he spoke.
“We love our community. And we’ve found the goodness in this country.”
Appearing at the royal commission on Thursday as its final witness, Campbell said he had made changes to chaplaincy “to strengthen and assure its performance and the accountability of its leadership”.