FILE PHOTO: The Chilean Navy ship “Almirante Lynch” is seen off the coast of Valparaiso, Chile September 20, 2010. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido/File Photo
SANTIAGO, Dec 29 (Reuters) – Chilean authorities said on Thursday they are investigating allegations that female sailors were secretly videotaped in their quarters on a naval vessel and that those images were then shared via social media by other crew members.
The Navy detained the sailors accused of secretly recording their female counterparts. It said “it roundly rejects these types of actions that insult our personnel and we reiterate our respect for the privacy of those that form part of the institution.”
Chile’s Defense Minister Jose Antonio Gomez said that sanction for these actions would “set an example.”
After receiving a complaint from a sailor who had seen the recordings of the women shared on a Whatsapp group, Chile’s naval prosecutor opened an investigation into at least nine seamen, the Estrella de Valparaiso newspaper reported on Thursday. Other local media said eight sailor are being investigated.
According to the paper, investigators found “elaborate and complex technical apparatus” in various strategic locations on the ship.
“If it’s true what happened on the frigate Lynch it is unacceptable,” Chilean President Michelle Bachelet wrote on Twitter.
“Let’s end all forms of violence against women!”
Earlier in December, a Chilean business leader sparked a social media storm and criticism by Bachelet for presenting the nation’s economy minister with an inflatable sex doll as a gift at an industry dinner.
Despite being South America’s most prosperous nation by most measures, Chile is more socially conservative than many of its neighbors and traditional gender attitudes persist.
Abortion is illegal in all circumstances, divorce was only legalized in 2006, and women’s participation in the labor market remains low. (Reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Andrea Ricci)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
JERUSALEM, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Israel has deported a further 29 activists detained by the navy last week for taking part in a flotilla that sought to deliver aid to blockaded Gaza, the foreign...
The Boracay, a tanker under Western sanctions on suspicion of being part of Russia's "shadow fleet" and also facing a separate investigation by French authorities, has set sail from where it was anchored off western France, according to MarineTraffic data.
Moran Towing Corporation has acquired Bisso Towboat Co., Inc. in a strategic move to strengthen its presence in New Orleans and the lower Mississippi River region, the company announced on...
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
