Canadian Armed Forces Continues To Reckon With Sexual Misconduct Allegations

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Military Sexual Misconduct Timeline Overview: 

• Who: Members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
• Why: Sexual misconduct allegations continue being lobbied against current and former high-ranking members of the Canadian military. 
• Where: Nationwide.

The total number of sexual misconduct claims lodged against the Canadian military has reportedly jumped 170 per cent since December 2020.

Indeed, just this summer a class action lawsuit claimed the federal government allowed a Canadian Armed Forces priest to sexually abuse hundreds of children at various military bases where he was stationed.

In the past year, a number of other Canadian Armed Forces officials have been accused of sexual misconduct. 

Canadian Armed Forces Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Allegations of high-level and widespread sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces first came to light in February, when former Gen. Jonathan Vance was accused of inappropriate behavior by two female subordinates, reports Global News Canada. 

Since then, multiple military police investigations and parliamentary probes have been conducted, in addition to an independent, external review led by former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louise Arbour. 

Vance – who also faced allegations in 2015 and 2018 – had been relieved of his duties as chief of the defence staff the previous month, according to Global News Canada. Adm. Art McDonald, who took over Vance’s former role, sent an internal message to officers one day later vowing there would be an investigation into the allegations. 

Military police announced they were opening an investigation the next day, reports Global News, and members of the House of Commons defence committee voted to open a study into both the allegations and sexual misconduct in the military as a whole. 

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service charged the now-retired Vance with one count of obstruction of justice in July, before handing the case over to civilian authorities. Vance is due in court Sept. 17. McDonald ended up stepping aside from his role as chief of the defence staff in late February after he became the target of a military police probe involving an allegation against him, according to Global News Canada.

Canadian military police earlier this month decided not to charge Mcdonald with any offences under either the Criminal Code or military code of service, claiming lack of evidence. He is reportedly on indefinite leave. 

Experts told Global News the military was facing a “crisis,” after Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre stepped in to fill McDonald’s role as chief of the defence staff on Feb. 25.

Sexual Misconduct Comes From The Top, Say Experts

“It was well known that this type of misconduct was happening within the ranks, running from bottom to top,” Linna Tam-Seto, a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen’s University, told Global News. “What we’re seeing now is that this type of behaviour is being shown through the top.”

Indeed, allegations continued to come out, including from a former military member who claimed she was forced to bathe in a co-ed shower, according to a report. Lt.-Col. Eleanor Taylor, one of the military’s most senior female members, “quit in disgust” two days later, according to Global News. 

Taylor told reporters that women in the military believed the sexual misconduct issue wasn’t being taken seriously by officials. 

Official Inquiries Into Military Sexual Misconduct

The status of women committee voted to open a parallel probe into military sexual misconduct, reports Global News Canada.  

The Office of Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has reportedly been cagey at times, including allegations it refused to look at evidence against Vance in regard to the 2018 misconduct claims and refusing to say whether he knew if they were sexual in nature.

In the latest development, the House of Commons voted in June to censure Sajjan over the way he has handled the crisis, reports Global News. 

Did you experience sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces? Let us know in the comments! 

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