“A deeply flawed culture, maintained by a rigid and outdated structure”: this explains the proliferation of cases of harassment and sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), according to a report filed on Monday of former Supreme Court judge Louise Arbor.
In the long -awaited document, which is nearly 400 pages long and contains 48 recommendations, Judge Arbor slapped senior army officials and pointed to a unfathomable hierarchical structure.
Leadership failure is to blame for this enduring culture of sexual misconduct.he wrote.
” Although difficult, this organization must be humble enough to accept help from the outside and open up to the outside world. “
These findings directly reflect the recommendations contained in Judge Marie Deschamps ’report, filed in 2015, which reported the prevalence of sexual misconduct in the ranks of the Canadian military.
And like Judge Deschamps, Louise Arbor believes that sexual offenses covered by the Criminal Code should be dealt with in civil proceedings and not within the framework of martial jurisdiction. A recommendation he had already made on an interim basis in November, and which is where Defense Minister Anita Anand has already gone.
On November 4, the Minister announced that all allegations of sexual misconduct against members of FCC will now be transferred to the civil authorities of the various provinces, who will be responsible for investigating and filing cases, if necessary.
In January, the Armed Forces began transferring casesMinister Anand assured at a press conference on Monday.
In his final report, Justice Arbor also recommended that any complaint related to sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination be addressed first to the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC).
More details to come.
Source: Radio-Canada
