Uncomfortable pair: Defence Force chief David Hurley and Defence Minister Stephen Smith yesterday.
Somewhere out there is a young woman, not yet 20, trying to deal with the knowledge that two of her fellow students filmed her having consensual sex and then broadcast it on Skype.
The woman, known only as ''Kate'', was a Royal Australian Air Force cadet at the Australian Defence Force Academy at the time.
When she discovered she had been filmed without her knowledge and that the film had been shown to four other students Kate reported the incident to the ADFA hierarchy.
She also went public with the story and found an ally in the Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith.
Smith publicly criticised Commodore Bruce Kafer, the commandant of ADFA, for allowing a separate disciplinary investigation into Kate to continue while her claims of sexual misconduct were investigated.
''I strongly believe that the holding of such a hearing today, in the aftermath of these events, is not only inappropriate, insensitive and wrong - it's almost faulty at law,'' Smith said at the time.
He also described Commodore Kafer's actions as ''completely stupid''.
Smith's comments were remarkable.
This is not a politician known for making outrageous, ill-considered statements on anything, let alone the military hierarchy.
But it was refreshing to see a young woman with the guts to report sexual misconduct believed and defended by a senior politician.
On Wednesday Mr Smith released the independent report into the handling of the Skype scandal, as it became known, along with a slew of other reports to do with allegations of abuse within the Australian Defence Force and the ADF's treatment of women.
Commodore Kafer was cleared of any wrongdoing although the report conceded he made an ''error of judgment' in proceeding with the other disciplinary action.
But instead of the possibility of a royal commission into the 775 ''plausible allegations of abuse'' people have suffered within the ADF over several decades, the story has become one of whether Commodore Bruce Kafer deserves an apology from Mr Smith for the comments he made when Kate went public.
Mr Smith appeared on Wednesday alongside the Chief of Defence Force, David Hurley, and the head of the Department of Defence, Duncan Lewis, who were both sporting their International Women's Day ribbons.
But Kate seems to have been completely forgotten.
Where is the apology to her?
Where is the outrage about the abuse others have suffered?
It's not coming from the opposition, which is feeding the supposed controversy about Smith's comments by demanding the Prime Minister apologise to Commodore Kafer if Smith doesn't.
Neither is it coming from Neil James, a former soldier turned de facto spokesman for the ADF through his Defence Force Association.
''It's no secret that Stephen Smith hopes to lead the Labor Party at some stage,'' James told ABC Radio yesterday.
''And this was an issue, particularly from a man reputed not to be popular among female voters, that would make him look good.''
Yes, because taking on the ADF hierarchy is such a vote winner.
Smith is hardly the government's go-to-man when it wants someone to run a particularly provocative line.
But, in this case, he believed Kate's story deserved a better hearing than it was getting.
''I have a very strong and close relationship with the chief of the defence force, the vice chief of the defence force, the secretary, and the service chiefs,'' Smith yesterday said.
''But I don't resile in any way from the things that I did and said at the time relating to the 18-year-old innocent victim of an alleged serious sexual abuse.''
Smith should be commended for his continuing efforts to drag the kicking and screaming ADF into the 21st century when it comes to the treatment of women within its ranks.
Instead Smith is copping the same flack that is flung at any minister who dare questions the private and shadowy dealings of the military.
Commodore Kafer returned to duties at ADFA almost as soon as the report was released.
The two men who are accused of filming Kate are awaiting trial over the issue.
Kate has now reportedly left ADFA and is now at another defence base.
Stephanie Peatling is the Sun Herald's political correspondent.