'Horrific' cases of sexual abuse unearthed in Oz mining probe: Report

A landmark inquiry into Australia’s mining sector has uncovered dozens of shocking cases of sexual harassment and abuse of women workers at companies including BHP Group and Rio Tinto Group.

The Western Australia government report released Thursday described “horrific” incidents at the workplaces, which it labelled both a failure of the industry and an oversight by government. Among recommendations were the payment of compensation to the many workers who became victims of bosses and colleagues on remote projects.

“I was shocked and appalled well beyond expectation by the size and depth of the problem,” Libby Mettam, chair of the inquiry, said in the report. “To hear the lived reality of the taunts, attacks and targeted violence, the devastation and despair the victims experienced, the threats to or loss of their livelihood that resulted was shattering and completely inexcusable.” 

The probe delves into the dark corners of an industry that’s under mounting pressure from investors, governments and society to address its impacts on local communities and the wider environment. BHP and Rio Tinto issued their own inquiries after allegations from women emerged in Western Australia’s $159-billion a year resources industry, where so-called Fly In-Fly Out (FIFO) workers are transported to remote sites for several weeks at a time.

The inquiry revealed that BHP Group recorded 91 reports of alleged sexual harassment or assault in the year through June 30, 2021, of which 79 were substantiated. Rio Tinto, from January 2020 to August 2021, received 51 complaints of sexual harassment or assault in FIFO operations, including one substantiated report of sexual assault and 29 substantiated reports of sexual harassment.

Allegations of abuse were also received at projects operated by Woodside Petroleum, Fortescue Metals Group, and Chevron.