Australian Federal Police
- agentorangechild
- May 5
- 4 min read
Subject: Urgent Criminal Complaint – Concealment of Military Entitlements, Breach of UN Treaties, and Life-Threatening Harm Caused by State Neglect.
Dear Australian Federal Police,
I am lodging this complaint under both Australian criminal law and international legal obligations arising from Australia’s ratification of:
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD),
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
I am a second-generation victim of TCDD (dioxin) exposure, the toxic contaminant in Agent Orange. Despite confirmation by my treating doctor that access to my father’s full military pension, service, and medical history is necessary for my healthcare, I have been denied that access by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, who claim no records exist available after 2006.
This case is not theoretical. It is life-or-premature-death. The concealment and denial are causing medical deterioration and trauma that is preventable, treatable, and internationally recognised as a state obligation.
Australia has been formally warned at least six times by United Nations treaty bodies and Special Rapporteurs between 2014 and 2024 for failing to uphold its obligations toward people with disabilities, toxic exposure victims, and children of veterans.
2014 Concluding Observations by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
2016 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics.
2019 Concluding Observations from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
2020 recommendations during the Universal Periodic Review.
2021 findings from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.
2024 warning from the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment regarding military-related toxic harms and state neglect.
1. Rome Statute – Crimes Against Humanity
Under Article 7(1)(k), the “intentional infliction of conditions of life causing serious physical or mental suffering or death” can constitute a crime against humanity when part of a systematic policy.
Australia’s refusal to:
Acknowledge or treat inherited harm from known chemical warfare,
Provide life-relevant records,
Or honour pension entitlements of the deceased veteran (my father),
forms part of a systemic policy of denial and silence that causes measurable, preventable harm to descendants.
This includes physical injury, suicide risk, financial harm, medical deterioration, and denial of healthcare.
2. UN CRPD – Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Article 25 (Health): States must “provide persons with disabilities the same range, quality and standard of free or affordable health care… including those based on the right to informed consent.”
Article 4 (General Obligations): States must eliminate discrimination and ensure adaptation of services to inherited or complex disability needs.
Article 31 (Statistics & Data): Australia is required to collect and make available health and disability data to inform policy, especially for marginalised groups.
Breach: Australia has never collected or acknowledged data on children of veterans exposed to TCDD. Denying me access to my father’s exposure records is a clear violation of Article 25 and Article 31.
3. UN CRC – Convention on the Rights of the Child
Article 6: Every child has the inherent right to life, and States must ensure their survival and development.
Article 24: States must take “effective measures to combat disease and malnutrition… including within the framework of primary health care.”
Article 3(1): All actions concerning children shall be in the best interests of the child.
Breach: Australia failed to provide medical protection to children of Vietnam veterans, failed to warn families, and continues to deny second-generation healthcare access. This is a violation of my rights as a child, and now as a disabled adult with congenital harm.
4. Stockholm Convention – POPS
TCDD is a listed Persistent Organic Pollutant (Annex C) due to its extreme toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation.
Article 6(1)(e): States must “develop strategies to identify sites contaminated by POPs” and undertake remediation where necessary.
Hypocrisy Example – Orica Case:
In 2011–2013, Orica was prosecuted under Australian chemical and environmental law for a POPs spill that posed a fraction of the toxicity of TCDD.
Orica’s emission was less than 1/50th as toxic, yet they faced full regulatory enforcement.
The ADF and DVA have never faced consequences for knowingly exposing thousands of personnel to far worse, nor for the generational harm that followed.
This is a clear double standard and a breach of international environmental justice.
5. Domestic Context – Robodebt Precedent
The Robodebt Royal Commission exposed:
Government automation of harm,
Denial of responsibility,
And resulted in avoidable death, disability, and suicide.
What’s happening to children of veterans—particularly those like me with formal diagnoses and linked congenital damage—is worse:
There is no review process,
No departmental acknowledgment of harm,
And no investigation despite clear medical and legal warnings.
What I Am Requesting
Immediate investigation into the concealment of my father’s pension, service, and medical records;
A formal referral, if required, to the ADF’s Inspector-General and relevant oversight bodies;
Evidence preservation and review of DVA, Defence, and Services Australia communications;
Investigation into whether this qualifies as negligence, malfeasance, or systemic abuse under federal and international law.
Deadline: 30 June 2025
I have notified 15 government officials and my doctors of this deadline. Noncompliance will be formally submitted to:
The International Criminal Court under the Rome Statute;
The UN Special Rapporteurs on Health, Disability, and Toxics;
The International Court of Justice;
And the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
For further documentation, evidence, and supporting research, I refer you to my website, which contains detailed records of my medical history, international studies on TCDD exposure, and legal references.
I am able to provide further details, supporting documents, medical records, upon request.
Warm Agent Orange Burns regards,
Danielle
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