( CNN ) -- Rape by mop handle , smashed teeth , broken bones , lacerated faces , concussions and dislocations . That 's a short list of sexual exploitation and physical maltreatment that teen boys suffered at a naval training school in Australia . The abuse at the HMAS Leeuwin naval base occurred mainly in the 1960s and '70s , according to a report released by a defense department task force investigating abuse in the country 's armed forces . The victims , mostly aged 15-17 , were junior recruits at the school . They were mostly abused by higher-ranking junior recruits , who were not reprimanded for their behavior , but staff also committed much of the brutality , the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce said . Investigators heard 238 complaints of abuse , which detailed instances of forced sodomy , naked beatings and brutal rituals including genital abuse , and verbal and physical intimidation . The nightmarish mistreatment scarred young men for life , many of whom sought solace in drugs and alcohol or , in later years , suffered breakdowns of their careers and relationships . The youth training program at HMAS Leeuwin ended in 1984 . Australian panel told of sexual abuse of boys at Salvation Army homes . CNN 's Jessica King contributed to this report .
Investigators received 238 complaints of heavy abuse at the Parramatta training facility . Victims endured naked beatings , rape with mop handle , genital abuse . It ended in broken bones , broken teeth , cut wrists , concussions . Most of the abuse was in the 1960s and ' 70s ; the training program closed down in 1984 .