Independent MP Wayne Furbert has questioned why citizens are not "marching in the streets" about allegations of sexual misconduct at Bermuda Regiment.

The former United Bermuda Party leader plans to raise the topic in Parliament next month, when he will voice support for calls for a Royal Commission to look into 14 claims of sexual assault and harassment made by male soldiers.

He told The Royal Gazette: "If it had been males assaulting females there would have been marching in the streets. Maybe because of the officers [alleged to be] involved, nobody wants to speak out."

This newspaper revealed last month that it uncovered the accusations — made between 1989 and 2002 at Warwick Camp — as part of an ongoing investigation.

We asked the Regiment for official statistics on sexual assault allegations but commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Brian Gonsalves said records were not kept and the public did not need the information.

Opposition Senate leader Michael Dunkley and anti-conscription campaigner Larry Marshall have since called for an independent public inquiry, but Governor Sir Richard Gozney said last week he saw "no convincing argument" for a Royal Commission.

Mr. Furbert said: "I'm planning to raise something in the House [of Assembly]. I did not support the Governor not calling a special commission. I think the Governor, in his wisdom, made the call but I don't think the call was the right call.

"It could be a Royal Commission or some commission, whatever you want to call it, but I think something has to be done. I'm going to bring it up in Parliament. We need to get the truth out of them. There needs to be transparency. I think that's all the public asks for on most issues."

Mr. Furbert, who told a public meeting last night that conscription should be abolished, said Bermuda had a habit of "running away from tough issues".

He said the issue needed thrashing out by MPs and that he was likely to table a motion asking members to take note of the need for a Royal Commission. "We need a commission set up by the Government to look into what has transpired," he said.

Sen. Dunkley has claimed the sexual misconduct allegations may have been covered up because they involved "well known people" in the community.

He said on Tuesday he would tackle the issue in the Senate when it next sits. "From the very beginning, I have asked for a board of inquiry," he said.

"When the Governor said he wasn't going to do a Royal Commission, I was disappointed. They [the allegations] are not going to disappear."

The Opposition politician said the Regiment had handled the situation poorly since the 14 claims were reported.

"Any time you are dealing with very difficult situations like this that have a tremendous impact on a victim's life, you have to be very careful how you deal with them."

Mr. Marshall, from Bermudians Against the Draft, accused the Governor of rushing into a decision not to create a Royal Commission.

"What bothered me the most was the fact that he did not even take certain relevant factors into consideration," said Mr. Marshall. "Most importantly he didn't talk to the victims, which is reprehensible."