(Montreal) According to the independent evaluators behind a report on sexual harassment and discrimination experienced at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, “the RCMP requires significant changes, and this, as soon as possible”. They released their final report on Thursday in the Tiller, Copland and Roach class action lawsuit.
Posted at 10:17 p.m.
The evaluators analyzed more than 400 complaints about women who worked or volunteered with the RCMP. They suffered acts of sexual harassment, misogyny, homophobia and sexual assault committed by members of the organization between 1974 and 2019.
The report follows the class action lawsuit filed by Cheryl Tiller, Mary-Ellen Copland and Dayna Roach in November 2017 against Canada. They alleged that the RCMP failed to take reasonable steps to ensure that women working in workplaces controlled by the RCMP — but who were not members of the RCMP or its employees — could work in a environment free from harassment and discrimination.
In June 2019, an agreement was reached aimed at settling claims for a total of more than 20 million. The acts nevertheless weighed heavily on the victims, who have very varied profiles, and their families.
“The culture, at the best of the RCMP’s work, tolerated misogyny, homophobia and a range of other prejudices and highly reprehensible misconduct within its ranks and within its leadership,” reads the comments from the evaluators.
The Claimants were notably victims of vulgar comments and taunts about their bodies, sexual comments about their clothing, unwanted touching, unauthorized access to their personal information and use for inappropriate purposes. as well as slurs targeting their race, ethnicity, Indigenous identity, sexual orientation or disability.
“The all-too-common attitude was that women were at work for the amusement and sexual gratification of male members,” the evaluators also observe.
Beyond “the cascading negative effects on the Claimants”, “the RCMP suffered incalculable organizational losses, including the loss of competent and experienced workers, reduced productivity, absenteeism and demoralization”, they add.
The evaluators submitted a series of seven recommendations in their 222-page report. In particular, they advise to “recognize, examine, identify and rectify the systemic barriers that perpetuate and prolong the unreported and unresolved harassment of women in RCMP workplaces”.
They also recommend reviewing the complaint handling process, among other things by providing for a facilitator to accompany potential complainants.
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki acknowledges that “the behavior described in this report is inexcusable.”
In a statement, she indicates that she is more determined than ever to improve the culture of the RCMP and to act on several fronts.
“We are committed to ensuring that perpetrators of misconduct are held accountable for their actions,” she adds.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said he is determined “to change the culture, to help everyone feel safe and to ensure that the RCMP truly reflects the values of the country that she serves “.
The minister agrees that the report highlights what survivors and human rights advocates have long said that there is a culture of tolerating systemic inequities within the RCMP.
“There is absolutely no place for misogyny, harassment or violence within the RCMP or Canadian society. Unfortunately, we cannot say that this basic standard has always been met,” he points out.
In November 2020, the “Merlo Report”, published by former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Michel Bastarache, reported similar behaviors suffered by female members and employees of the RCMP.