(Ottawa) The federal government will apologize to current and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have been victims of sexual assault or sexual misconduct.
Defense Minister Anita Anand and new Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre and Deputy Defense Minister Jody Thomas announced the move in a joint statement on Monday.
“Sexual assault, sexual harassment and discrimination based on sex, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation have absolutely no place in our organization. We know that our collective failure to build an inclusive culture free from these unacceptable workplace behaviors has harmed our staff, ”the statement read.
“As part of our efforts to restore relationships with those who have suffered harm, we will issue a public apology to all current and former members of the Defense Team who have been affected by acts of sexual assault or sexual misconduct, including harassment and discrimination, ”the statement added.
Minister Anand will apologize on behalf of the Government of Canada while General Wayne Eyreen will apologize on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces. For her part, Deputy Minister Jody Thomas will apologize on behalf of the Department of National Defense.
Pandemic requires, this apology will be presented virtually on December 13, at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the Canadian Armed Forces Facebook page. The event will also be recorded and accessible on YouTube for those who cannot watch it live or who prefer to watch it later.
“All members of the Defense Team should be treated fairly in a work environment where they feel safe and free from all forms of harassment and discrimination. We know that there is still a lot of work to be done to create a positive and lasting culture change and we will continue to listen to and learn from those affected, to ensure that we take the necessary steps to achieve this change. . ”
This is the second major decision taken by Minister Anand since taking over as head of the Department of Defense on October 26 in relation to the crisis in the Canadian Armed Forces amid allegations of misconduct. sexual targeting several high-ranking officers.
About a week after his appointment, Mr.me Anand, in fact announced that she had accepted “in their entirety” the recommendations of the former judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, Louise Arbor, aimed at “transferring the investigation and prosecution of cases of sexual misconduct to the civil system ”. These investigations have so far been handled by the military justice system, deemed inadequate by victims because it was accountable to the chain of command.
Recall that last April, when allegations of misconduct had splashed out on former Chief of Staff Jonathan Vance, Ottawa had tasked Louise Arbor to carry out an independent review of the way in which the army treats complaints of sexual misconduct. Since then, other high-ranking officers have been splashed with similar allegations.
The mandate given to Mme Arbor was seen as a way for the government to get out of the way. Especially since another retired judge from the same court, Marie Deschamps, described in length and breadth the extent of the phenomenon in a damning report filed in 2015, and another ex-magistrate, Morris Fish, has finalized its report on the military justice system (the third since 2003). The document was tabled last June.
In a recent interview with Press, Minister Anand had issued a warning to the Canadian Armed Forces: recess is over.
“My top priority is to make sure that all members of the Armed Forces feel safe and protected, that they have the support they need when they need it, and that there are structures in place to justice be done, ”argued the Minister of Defense – the second woman to hold this position in Canadian history after Kim Campbell in 1993.