Re: Sexual Assault / Misconduct

by Terrarium Thu 16 Jun 2022, 7:44 pm

Second retired officer charged with sexual assault in connection with 1994 Royal Military College case

The charge stems from a complaint filed in September with the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service by a retired female military officer who attended the Royal Military College. She was 18 at the time of the alleged assault.

David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Jun 16, 2022

A second retired military officer has been charged with sexual assault in connection with incidents at the Royal Military College in Kingston that have also led to charges against a retired lieutenant general.

On June 13, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service charged Cory Gelowitz with one count of sexual assault. “The matter relates to incidents alleged to have occurred at RMC Kingston in 1994,” the office of the Canadian Provost Marshal confirmed to this newspaper.

The case will be handled through the civilian justice system in Kingston.

The charge stems from a complaint filed in September with the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service by a retired female military officer who attended the Royal Military College. She was 18 at the time and alleges she was raped in her room at RMC by two men who were senior cadets.

Gelowitz was not available for comment Thursday and the charge against him has not been proven in a court of law.

The provost marshal’s office announced Wednesday that retired lieutenant general Trevor Cadieu had been charged with two counts of sexual assault. Cadieu was under investigation by military police when the Canadian Forces senior leadership approved his request to retire as of April 5.

Cadieu travelled to Ukraine shortly after that to volunteer for that country’s military, which is battling a Russian invasion.

Cadieu, who is still in Ukraine, has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and maintains the allegations against him are false. He noted in an email to this newspaper Wednesday that he had been informed of the charges. “I am making arrangements to return to Canada from Ukraine, and I will continue to cooperate with this process, as I have from the start,” he stated.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for Cadieu for when he arrives back in Canada.

The alleged victim declined to comment.

But, in a previous interview with this newspaper, the woman said she was still trying to deal with the “institutional betrayal” she had faced from the Canadian Forces and Department of National Defence. She pointed out that, in October 2021, DND and the military originally distributed to national news outlets Cadieu’s statement, in which he denied wrongdoing. She took that as the senior military and DND leadership officially indicating support for the lieutenant general despite an ongoing investigation.

In a July 11, 2021, email to the alleged victim, Cadieu acknowledged the harm he had caused her. Cadieu wrote that Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre had been informed by other officers about the victim’s allegations. “The CDS can’t ignore what he’s been told,” Cadieu wrote to the woman, a former Canadian Forces member. “Naturally, as painful as it is to write this, the CDS needs to makes (sic) decisions about my ability to continue to serve.”

In a previous email sent to Cadieu, this newspaper asked him to comment on that July 11 message. Cadieu responded that, “the information in your email to me contains inaccuracies and, to the best of my knowledge, is unrelated to the allegation that the NIS is investigating.”

Eyre later promoted Cadieu and named him to lead the army. That appointment was later derailed by the sexual assault allegations against Cadieu.

The Canadian Forces and DND insist Eyre was never informed of any issues about Cadieu until his meeting with military police in September 2021. Once he was told of the allegations on Sept. 5, Eyre acted immediately, DND said.

Defence Watch

by **Forcell** Fri 24 Jun 2022, 11:56 am

Anger grows as Canadian military officers rally around general accused of sexual assault

“So many survivors are gob-smacked about this."

David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Jun 24, 2022

Survivors of military sexual assaults are sounding the alarm about serving officers, including a chaplain and a Canadian Forces lawyer, who have taken to social media to support a retired general accused of rape.

Survivors say the support for retired Lt. Gen. Trevor Cadieu from those who are supposed to help victims and punish perpetrators shows Canadian Forces leadership continues to fail in its efforts to deal with sexual misconduct.

Cadieu has been accused of raping a female student at a military college in 1994. He recently returned from Ukraine, was arrested and then was released. Cadieu is expected to appear in provincial court in Kingston in August to face two counts of sexual assault.

A second retired officer, Cory Gelowitz, has been charged with one count of sexual assault.

The charges stem from a complaint filed in September with the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service by a retired female military officer who attended the Royal Military College. She alleges she was raped in her room at RMC by two men who were senior cadets.

Cadieu has denied any wrongdoing. Gelowitz did not respond to a request for comment. The charges have not been proven in court.

A recent LinkedIn post by retired Canadian special forces officer James Chorley prompted anger among sexual assault survivors. Chorley highlighted a CBC article about charges laid against Cadieu, noting the “accusation and media-based guilty verdict of people like Trevor is both distasteful and ridiculous.”

Chorley’s comment was “liked” by 15 serving military officers and National Defence employees, including senior chaplain Lt. Col. Marc Torchinsky, Col. Ryan Smith, chief of staff at 4th Canadian Division, Lt. Col. Keith Reichert of the judge advocate general’s office, public affairs officer Dan Thomas, force development director Col. Scott Gillingham, Lt. Col. Clay Rook and Philipe Leclerc, a National Defence strategic advisor, among others.

Lt. Col. John Timmermans, who serves at NATO, stated in response to Chorley that the Canadian military needed to stop referring to those making accusations about sexual misconduct or assault as “the victim.” He stated that in some cases individuals making sexual assault allegations were actually the “guilty party.”

Retired major Donna Riguidel described the LinkedIn responses by serving military personnel as disturbing. “So many survivors are gob-smacked about this,” said Riguidel, who was herself sexually assaulted. “This is why so many people in the military didn’t come forward 20 years ago, and it’s probably why survivors that read this are not going to come forward now.”

Riguidel, who now consults on culture change and supporting sexual assault survivors, pointed out senior Canadian Forces leadership has taken no action about the LinkedIn activity.

Neither Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre nor army commander Lt. Gen. Joe Paul would comment. “We understand that some of the sentiments expressed online have resulted in real harm to victims of sexual misconduct and impacts their ability to feel safe and empowered to come forward without fear of reprisal or further harm,” a statement from National Defence to this newspaper noted.

The statement added such behaviour was unacceptable and the military would be “reminding all CAF members of their responsibility to ensure online conduct is appropriate and respectful.”

Defence sources, however, have confirmed no action of any kind will be taken against any of the officers and they will be free to continue posting their views.

Riguidel said the woman who filed the complaint against Cadieu had endured an unprecedented campaign aimed at discrediting her character and the military leadership had “thrown her under the bus.”

The woman’s identity has been shared among officers, including those on Eyre’s staff. Comments online about the alleged victim’s mental state and her alleged motives have been posted online. Similar comments have been made during official meetings at defence headquarters.

In an unprecedented move, the Canadian Forces distributed Cadieu’s statement denying wrongdoing to news outlets. The alleged victim said that clearly showed Eyre and the senior leadership were behind Cadieu despite an ongoing police investigation.

Retired military personnel have heaped praise on Cadieu over the past eight months. Retired Brig.-Gen. James Cox, a fellow at the Norman Paterson School at Carleton University, claimed the allegation against Cadieu could be “sedition to undermine national leadership.”

Cadieu has also received on-line praise from military sexual assault survivor Annalise Schamuhn, a retired captain, and retired Lt.-Col. Eleanor Taylor, who announced last year she was leaving the military because of sexual misconduct among Canadian Forces leadership.

Retired Lt.-Gen. Mike Day praised Cadieu, tweeting on April 21 tweet that not only was Cadieu the most competent officer he had ever worked with, but he had also handled the current situation with “compassion for his accuser.”

Cadieu’s alleged victim has challenged Day’s claim, noting she had to request a legal order to prevent Cadieu from contacting her.

Defence Watch

by Whiskey Sun 10 Jul 2022, 4:45 pm

Canadian Forces sex assault case transfer plans spark funding fight with provinces

By Lee Berthiaume . The Canadian Press
Posted July 10, 2022

Global News

by **Accer** Wed 20 Jul 2022, 4:16 pm

Military fines MP Kevin Vuong for failing to report criminal charge

Richard Raycraft · CBC News · Posted: Jul 20, 2022

Sexual Assault / Misconduct - Page 23 Kevin-vuong

CBC News

by **Forcell** Thu 21 Jul 2022, 11:31 am

Canadian Forces’ former head of human resources faces internal misconduct charges

By Jacques Gallant . Politics Reporter
Wed., July 20, 2022

The former head of military personnel for the Canadian Armed Forces is facing misconduct charges following an allegation of an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, military police said Wednesday.

Lt.-Gen. Steven Whelan is facing two counts of “conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline” under the National Defence Act.

Last October, Whelan stepped aside from his role after just a few months in the job amid the investigation into allegations of historic sexual misconduct.

The military police statement said a probe did not reveal evidence that would support laying criminal charges.

“These charges relate to offences that are specific to the military context and are not found in the Criminal Code of Canada,” said the statement from the office of the provost marshal, the head of the military police.

“They would not have been investigated by civilian police and cannot be tried in a civilian court.”

Given those circumstances, the military’s current policy of transferring sexual assault cases to civilian authorities does not apply, the statement said.

“This matter will now proceed through the military justice system and no further information can be released at this time,” the statement said.

The military has been rocked by a sexual misconduct crisis, with a number of current and former senior leaders under investigation or facing charges.

Whelan’s predecessor as the CAF’s head of human resources, Vice-Admiral Haydn Edmundson, is facing criminal charges of sexual assault and committing indecent acts — the highest ranking official to be charged with sexual assault.

Edmundson has denied any wrongdoing. His case is being handled by the civilian court system, with a trial expected to begin next year.

Shortly after taking over from Edmundson last year, Whelan testified before the House of Commons standing committee on national defence, which was probing military sexual misconduct, and said the military was committed to culture change.

“We need … to hear our members, because I don’t think we’ve given them the voice they have asked for,” Whelan told the committee. “Some of what I hear is ugly, it’s uncomfortable, and I’m still processing it, but I’m committed in trying to make a difference as we move forward.”

Whelan could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.

Reached for comment, the Department of National Defence said Whelan “hasn’t made any official statement” through the department or military.

Jacques Gallant is a Toronto-based reporter covering politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @JacquesGallant

The Record

by Covert Mon 25 Jul 2022, 8:48 am

Pride in Canada's military has eroded over the past year: report

The military is still held in high regard — but scandals have damaged its reputation

Richard Raycraft · CBC News · Posted: Jul 24, 2022

Sexual Assault / Misconduct - Page 23 Military-women-20200122

CBC News

by **Spider** Mon 29 Aug 2022, 7:48 am

'I kept it a secret': Former naval officer speaks out about sexual abuse and addiction

Published Aug. 28, 2022

This story includes references to sexual abuse and addiction that may be distressing.

When Mia Lynch walks along the Halifax waterfront, she often catches a glimpse of HMCS Goose Bay, which was the first coastal defence vessel she ever sailed on.

The 36-year old was once a proud member of the Royal Canadian Navy, but not long after enlisting in 2003, her pride turned into pain.

"When I first joined there was a Christmas party at the unit and there was a lot of alcohol being passed around," she said. "I ended up drinking quite a bit that night, and I blacked out."

When she eventually woke up, she realized something was terribly wrong. "I was sexually assaulted, I felt afraid and very ashamed."

In the aftermath of the alleged assault, Lynch struggled with what to do. She was new to the navy, and as a woman she was a minority in her unit.

"I was too frightened to report it," she said. "I thought that if I did it would be the end of my career. I thought it was kind of an old boys club, and no one would believe me, so I just kept it a secret."

Cases like Lynch's are not uncommon in the Canadian Armed Forces. According to Statistics Canada report from 2016, 27.3 per cent of women and 3.8 percent of men reported having been victims of sexual assault at least once since joining the military.

"Sexual misconduct has brought the CAF into disrepute, both internally and in the eyes of the general public," said former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour in a scathing report released on May 30, which was a blistering indictment of the military's "handling of sexual misconduct," "abuse of power" and "toxicity in the work environment."

The review, more than a year in the making, also made 48 recommendations for consideration by the federal government, ranging from an overhaul of the institution’s recruiting system to removing sexual offence cases from military courts.

“The CAF has been unwilling or unable to embrace the intent and vision that came from external sources, choosing the letter over the spirit, often the appearance of implementation over its substance, thereby entrenching their ways of operating. I believe this is a consequence of the insularity within which the CAF has traditionally operated, and its determination to perpetuate its old ways of doing business,” she said.

Along with recommending sweeping changes, Arbour's report highlighted that "fear of retaliation" is very real to military sexual abuse victims. At the time, the federal government said it “accepted” the report in its entirety and was in the process of implementing several of the recommendations.

"I wasn't just assaulted once, it happened many times in my career, by different people," said Lynch. "There were times when I tried to report it, but I was discouraged by other people in the military to follow through, so I eventually dropped it."

Lynch said one alleged attack occurred when she was "asleep in her barracks". She claims someone got into her room and attempted to assault her. The incident amplified her fear and also plunged her into a depression.

"Not only did I already feel hopeless and that there was no other way out, but now I felt completely useless, abandoned by this organization that I given my life."

To cope with the trauma, Lynch started to drink heavily when not at work. At the same time, she was prescribed hydromorphone, because she underwent four surgeries in one month. The drug is a potent opioid analgesics, used to treat moderate to severe pain.

"I started mixing that with alcohol and I definitely used those substances to numb my feelings of self-contempt, powerlessness and uselessness," she said. "When my prescription ran out, I started trying cocaine."

Decades of research have found a strong link between exposure to traumatic events and substance use problems. While the data is limited for active members in the Canadian Armed Forces, studies from the United States and United Kingdom have indicated a high prevalence of substance use among military personnel.

"Substance use disorder is prevalent in the armed forces, probably four to five times higher than the general population, depending on what study you are citing, " said Colette Currin, who is the National Director of Military, Veterans and First Responders for EHN Canada.

Specializing in mental health and addictions treatment, Currin said it is not unusual to find military members struggling with substance use.

It is estimated that 60 to 80 per cent of CAF veterans diagnosed with PTSD have experienced substance abuse problems.

"A lot of what we see in the military culture is also in the general population, but it can be accentuated given the very unique structure of the military, obviously very male dominated, which for females can also present a unique intersectionality,” Currin said.

Lynch's struggles and substance use lead to attempted suicide in 2015. During this time, she began treatment and sought out support from friends and family.

"I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, as well as generalized and social anxiety."

Despite all the difficulties and obstacles, Lynch tried to stay in the Navy because she loved her job and serving her country.

However, in September, 2018 she was medically released from the armed forces. When she left the institution, she had achieved the rank of a petty officer, second class.

"Since then I spent seven months in trauma treatment and I am now trying to get my feet under me in order to heal and feel whole again."

Lynch has also now been sober since 2020, and is planning a return to school, in hopes of building a future free from her military past.

CTV News

by **GeminiTeam** Tue 04 Oct 2022, 7:27 pm

Canadian naval officer relieved of her duties after allegations of inappropriate conduct on NATO mission

Published Oct. 4, 2022

Sexual Assault / Misconduct - Page 23 Hmcs-kingston-comes-home-1-3197075-1664913539888

CTV News VANCOUVER ISLAND

by **Slider** Wed 19 Oct 2022, 7:39 am

Legal action against two military sexual assault survivors struck down in court

Lori Buchart, co-founder of the group It’s Not Just 20K (INJ20K), was suing the two women for $100,000 for defamation.

David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Oct 18, 2022

An Alberta justice has struck down legal action against two military rape survivors and has ordered their accuser to pay them each $750.

Lori Buchart, co-founder of the group It’s Not Just 20K (INJ20K), which works closely with the Canadian Forces leadership on improving how the military deals with sexual misconduct, was suing the two women for $100,000 for defamation.

Buchart had gone to court in Calgary to claim Diane Rose and Donna Riguidel were behind an April 19 email sent to Veterans Affairs Canada, National Defence, media outlets and various health-care specialists involved with helping those dealing with military sexual trauma.

The email at the centre of the case was sent by a group called Canadian Veterans of MST (Military Sexual Trauma) and raised allegations about bullying by the leaders of INJ20K. The email alleged that survivors of military sexual trauma were being booted from INJ20K because they disagreed with the decision to work more closely with Canadian Forces senior leadership.

But the contents of the email weren’t made public until Buchart and INJ20K published portions of it online.

Buchart and Sam Samplonius of INJ20K had previously denied all of the allegations raised in the email, including that they were ever involved in any bullying.

At a court hearing last month, the lawyers for Rose and Riguidel argued that Buchart’s claims against the two women were all based on anonymous sources and that it would be impossible for the women to defend themselves properly. In addition, they pointed out Buchart’s statement of claim didn’t meet the basic principle of pleadings in court.

Justice James Farrington of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta struck down Buchart’s statement of claim and ordered her to pay $750 each to Rose and Riguidel.

Buchart had demanded $50,000 each from Rose and Riguidel, who had both been raped while serving in the Canadian military.

The court had given Buchart, who noted she has been raped and sexually assaulted while in the military, a number of chances to file a proper statement of claim.

In May, Buchart’s then-lawyer claimed the Canadian Forces, through its Sexual Misconduct Response Centre, had offered to facilitate a conflict resolution session between Buchart and Rose and Riguidel.

National Defence spokesperson Dan Le Bouthillier, however, told this newspaper the claim from Buchart’s legal team was false and that at no point did the Canadian Forces or the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre offer to get involved in any way in the dispute.

Riguidel, who provides support for fellow sexual assault survivors, said in a statement that she hoped the military sexual trauma community can now move forward.

“Lori Buchart sued for at least $100,000, $50,000 from me and $50,000 from Diane Rose,” Riguidel said.

“Both of her claims were struck out by the court, and she had to pay each of us a small sum of money towards our actual legal fees. She had two different days in court, and she put her story and her grievances to the applications judge. Because the claims were struck out, nothing was proved, including defamation.”

Buchart did not respond to requests for comment. But in her appearance before the court on Sept. 16, Buchart alleged the email from the Canadian Veterans of MST caused her distress and “impacted” her reputation as well as those of Canadian Forces leaders.

INJ20K, which has more than 100 members, has become closely affiliated with the senior Canadian military leadership. The group highlights on Twitter its policy of “collaboration not confrontation” and often tweets out praise for Canadian Forces senior leadership for their handling of the ongoing sexual misconduct issue.

In June, Buchart claimed this newspaper had attacked her and INJ20K for requesting a delay in implementing a Canadian military peer support program. This newspaper had never written about the program, nor any article attacking INJ20K for asking for a delay.

Le Bouthillier confirmed to this newspaper that the Canadian Forces has previously covered expenses for INJ20K officials, including travel and hotel rooms, while they have worked with the military leadership. He said the military had asked for nothing in return.

Defence Watch

by Ravenson Tue 25 Oct 2022, 5:58 am

Anand names promised external monitor for military sexual misconduct changes

By Rachel Gilmore . Global News
Posted October 24, 2022

Jocelyne Therrien has been named as the promised external monitor tasked with overseeing the military’s implementation of efforts to address sexual misconduct, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced on Monday.

The appointment of an external monitor was a key recommendation from the highly-anticipated report into what experts have described as a “crisis” of sexual misconduct within the Canadian Forces, which former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour concluded in May of this year.

The blistering report found that the top ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces are “incapable” of recognizing the “deficient” parts of a culture that keep sexual misconduct and abuse of power entrenched.

A “large majority” of the recommendations from Arbour’s report will be implemented, Anand said on Monday, and Therrien will be the person who “oversees and assists with the implementation of the recommendations.”

“The appointment of Madame Therrien is important because the entire Arbour report addresses the need for greater protections and resources for those who suffer from sexual harassment, sexual discrimination and any type of bias in the Canadian Armed Forces,” Anand said.

Therrien is a former executive from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, a role that saw her audit federal government entities multiple times. More recently, Therrien helped to review four cases of workplace harassment within the RCMP, according to a press release from Anand’s office.

With 48 recommendations, Arbour’s report charts out a new path to fundamentally change the way military sexual misconduct allegations are reported and handled in order to restore confidence in the Canadian Forces, which continues to struggle with recruitment.

The Canadian Armed Forces is supposed to be adding about 5,000 troops to regular and reserve forces, to meet a growing list of demands, but are instead short more than 10,000 trained members – meaning about one in 10 positions are currently vacant.

Global News first brought to light allegations in February 2021 of sexual misconduct against senior leaders in the Canadian Forces — the first of dozens of exclusive reports into such allegations and the military’s handling of them over the past 18 months.

Those revelations and the courage of survivors and victims who spoke out spurred a political and societal reckoning that remains underway.

In her 403-page report, Arbour described an institution that is fundamentally out of sync with the values of Canadian society, and which poses a “liability” to the country.

“Firmly entrenched in its historical way of life, the military has failed to keep pace with the values and expectations of a pluralistic Canadian society, increasingly sophisticated about the imperative of the rule of law,” Arbour wrote.

“Operating as a totally self-regulated, self-administered organization, entirely reliant on deference to authority, it has failed to align with the ever-changing, progressive society we live in. This disconnect is a liability for the CAF and for Canada.”

Therrien will initially be appointed for a term of one year, during which time she will be tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Arbour report’s recommendations and will provide “regular reports” to Anand on this work, according to the department of National Defence.

In a press release announcing her new role, Therrien acknowledged that this is a “critical time” for one of Canada’s “key institutions.”

“I am honoured to serve as the External Monitor and will fulfill these duties openly and accountably,” she said.

“I look forward to working with Minister Anand and the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces on this important work.”

— with files from Global News’ Amanda Connolly and Aaron D’Andrea

Global News

by Whiskey Fri 02 Dec 2022, 4:22 pm

Rape survivor belittled about her mental health at DND sponsored symposium

A number of people who did not realize their microphones were on started belittling a former air force member who in 1981 had been gang-raped by five military personnel.

David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Dec 02, 2022

A former Canadian Forces member who survived being gang-raped was belittled and faced derogatory comments about her mental health after tuning in to what was billed as a healing symposium sponsored by National Defence.

Diane Rose, who deals with post-traumatic stress disorder and has been advocating for sexual misconduct survivors for more than a decade, joined the Restoring Hearts and Minds Symposium on Wednesday.

The virtual event was promoted by INJ20K, an organization that represents some sexual misconduct survivors, and was sponsored by National Defence in partnership with McMaster University and groups like True Patriot Love.

During the event, Rose asked an online question.

But during a brief break, a number of people who did not realize their microphones were on started belittling the former air force member who in 1981 had been gang-raped by five military personnel.

They questioned why Rose had been allowed to ask a question, talked about her mental health and warned that she creates problems, according to Rose and others who listened in on the event.

“These people attacked me and not one person spoke up,” Rose said of the estimated 70 individuals taking part in the symposium. “What kind of human beings are they?”

The individuals didn’t stop attacking Rose until she informed the group that their microphones were on. Some of those who participated in the virtual event later reached out to see if she was okay. “Don’t stab me in the back and then turn around and pretend you’re concerned about me,” Rose said. “That’s beyond hypocritical.”

The event was billed as “a safe space for MST (military sexual trauma) survivors” to “share their experiences and heal alongside others.”

Organizers did not apologize to Rose for what happened.

But Lori Buchart, co-founder of the group It’s Not Just 20K (INJ20K), said one person who made comments later issued an apology. “This was not a person on the organizing committee, which I was part of, or with INJ,” she added.

Margaret McKinnon of McMaster University confirmed comments were made during the break, although she was unable to hear them in detail or determine who was saying them. “As soon as others noted comments were being made about a person with lived experience, I did come on screen immediately to intervene while also monitoring the closing of the live microphone,” she said.

McKinnon said no transcript or audio recording of the comments is available.

She noted one individual, Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Alena Mondelli, did apologize and agreed to leave the symposium.

Mondelli said in a statement she inappropriately commented on the interaction between Rose and the panellists and while it was not to be meant as an insult, “I clearly overstepped my boundaries.”

Defence Minister Anita Anand provided a pre-recorded video greeting for the event and did not hear the comments, her office stated.

National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier said the department is aware of the concerns about comments directed at Rose. “We are looking into it further, which includes making contact with some participants as well as the event organizers,” he added.

DND provided $50,000 to McMaster for a series of symposiums.

Rose said she has been advocating for sexual misconduct survivors for 12 years. She is known for challenging the Canadian Forces’ leadership on their lack of action over the years and said this incident will not put an end to her advocacy.

Earlier this year Rose and another rape survivor, Donna Riguidel, faced a lawsuit from Buchart, who alleged the two had defamed her.

Buchart went to court in Calgary to claim the two women were behind an April 19 email sent to Veterans Affairs Canada, National Defence, media outlets and various health-care specialists involved with helping those dealing with military sexual trauma.

The email at the centre of the case was sent by a group called Canadian Veterans of MST and raised allegations about bullying by officials with INJ20K. The email alleged survivors of military sexual trauma were being booted from INJ20K because they disagreed with the organization’s decision to work more closely with Canadian Forces senior leadership.

The contents of the email weren’t made public until Buchart and INJ20K published portions of it online.

Buchart had denied all of the allegations raised in the email, including that she was ever involved in any bullying. Buchart was suing Rose and Riguidel for $100,000, according to court records.

But Justice James Farrington of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta struck down Buchart’s statement of claim and ordered her to pay $750 each to Rose and Riguidel.

Royal Canadian Navy Commander Nancy Setchell, an INJ20K advisory group member, suggested in a tweet that Buchart can still commence a new legal action against the two women.

Defence Watch

by **Replica** Fri 09 Dec 2022, 4:35 pm

Rape victim awarded 'certificate of attendance' for DND-sponsored symposium where she was insulted and belittled

Diane Rose, who was sexually assaulted by five men in 1981, received the certificate a week after she had to listen to a virtual presentation where participants belittled her and made jokes about her mental state.

David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Dec 09, 2022

A former Canadian Forces member who survived being gang-raped by military personnel has been given a “certificate of attendance” for tuning into a National Defence-sponsored healing symposium where she faced derogatory comments about her mental health.

Diane Rose, who deals with post-traumatic stress disorder after her savage sexual assault by five men in 1981, received the certificate on Dec. 7. It came a week after she had to listen to a virtual presentation where participants belittled her and made jokes about her mental state.

“I couldn’t believe they sent me a certificate for attending the symposium where they trash-talked me,” said Rose. “It’s such a kick in the teeth.”

National Defence spent $50,000 for three virtual symposiums arranged by McMaster University. A Veterans Affairs Canada official was also involved in the symposiums. The events were promoted by INJ20K, an organization that represents some sexual misconduct survivors and promotes collaboration with the Canadian Forces.

The comments about Rose came after the retired air force member had asked an online question during the Restoring Hearts and Minds Symposium on Nov. 30. But during a brief break, a number of people questioned why Rose had been allowed to ask a question, made fun of her mental health and warned that she created problems.

The individuals didn’t stop with the insults until Rose herself informed the group that their microphones were on.

Margaret McKinnon of McMaster University confirmed comments were made during the break, although she was unable to hear them in detail or determine who was saying them. She noted she cut the mics off.

The event was billed as “a safe space for MST (military sexual trauma) survivors” to “share their experiences and heal alongside others.”

The certificate of attendance sent to Rose by McMaster noted she had taken part in “Restoring Hearts and Minds for People with Lived Experience of Military Sexual Trauma.”

Rose said that sentence shows how out of touch National Defence and the symposium organizers are. “They refer to me as a person with a ‘lived experience,'” said Rose. “That is BS. I am a person who was gang raped.”

Rose noted that there were no apologies from National Defence, Veterans Affairs or INJ20K for what happened. McKinnon did send her an apology via email, but only after this newspaper published an article on the incident.

The funding for the symposium was provided by National Defence’s MINDS program, which falls under the responsibility of Peter Hammerschmidt, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy.

Asked why it cost $50,000 for three virtual meetings, National Defence responded that “eligible expenses for grant funding include compensation and benefits for research associates and assistants, transcription, travel, hospitality, venue rentals, audio-visual equipment, software licenses, publishing costs, and more.”

In a statement, National Defence noted at the time the “funding was awarded to the event organizers, DND/CAF was not aware and had no knowledge of the personal opinions the individual attending the event would express.”

“This particular event was awarded a MINDS grant based on potential to deliver insights to inform our efforts to tackle sexual and other types of misconduct,” National Defence added. “Grants such as this one are long-term investments that make positive contributions to address sexual misconduct.”

Rose says she has been advocating for sexual misconduct survivors for 12 years. She is known for challenging the Canadian Forces’ leadership on their lack of action over the years and said this incident will not put an end to her advocacy.

Defence Watch

by **Diesel** Sat 10 Dec 2022, 8:39 pm

Behind closed doors

Records reveal instructors quashed a sexual assault complaint against a soldier during basic training. He was later accused of a second assault.

Jorge Barrera

CBC News

Dec. 10, 2022

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

CBC News

by RevForce Thu 22 Dec 2022, 7:09 pm

Former Cadets major faces sex assault charges after military police re-examined a closed case

Jorge Barrera · CBC News · Posted: Dec 22, 2022

Sexual Assault / Misconduct - Page 23 Kenneth-richards

CBC News

by **Slider** Tue 27 Dec 2022, 2:06 pm

Canadian military can’t-or won’t-reveal outcomes of sexual criminal cases passed to civilians

Posted December 26, 2022

Military police don’t know –or won’t say– how many of the dozens of cases involving criminal sexual behaviour referred to civilian counterparts over the past year have resulted in charges.

That has sparked criticism from some experts, who say such information is critical to knowing whether sending such cases to civilian authorities is having the intended effect.

Defence Minister Anita Anand first directed military police and prosecutors to start handing cases to civilian authorities in November 2021, following a recommendation to that effect from retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour.

Arbour made the recommendation while conducting a yearlong review into the Canadian Armed Forces’ handling of sexual misconduct allegations. She said the move was necessary to address widespread mistrust and doubt in the military justice system.

During an update earlier this month, military police revealed that they have transferred 57 cases of alleged sexual crimes to civilian police for investigation since Anand’s direction.

Yet military police spokesman Lt.-Cmdr. Jamie Bresolin did not directly answer when asked last week how many of those investigations have resulted in charges. He also didn’t respond when asked what military police are doing to track the cases.

“Many of these investigations are ongoing,” Bresolin told The Canadian Press in an emailed response.

“Further, while we work with our civilian police partners to collect information pertaining to ongoing investigations involving CAF persons, they have no obligation to provide information to the military police or the CAF on the status or outcome of their investigations.”

Bresolin also would not provide details on why civilian police had declined to take 40 other cases involving alleged sexual crimes, which ended up being investigated by military police.

“We will not provide a breakdown of the reasons why these cases were declined by the civilian police nor identify the police service,” he said. “There are many complexities when it comes to transferring files between one civilian police agency and another.”

Asked how many of those investigations led to charges, Bresolin said the military’s top police officer, Brig.-Gen. Simon Trudeau, “intends to provide a fulsome overview in his annual report which may provide this type of information as it becomes available.”

The lack of answers did not sit well with several experts, who argued such details are critical to understanding what is really happening with cases of alleged criminal sexual behaviour in the military _ and whether the recent changes are working or not.

“This is unacceptable,” said retired University of Ottawa professor Holly Johnson, principal investigator of Statistics Canada’s first national survey on violence against women. “If we can’t track cases and charges, we have no way of knowing whether this is a sound policy.”

Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, who studies military sexual misconduct for the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, felt the refusal to provide any information on why cases are being declined by civilian police was also a concern.

“Explaining why those cases are being declined can give the complainants, the department (and minister’s office), and the public a more fulsome picture of the problems the CAF is facing in terms of transfer of jurisdiction,” she said.

Retired lieutenant-colonel Rory Fowler, who is now a civilian lawyer specializing on military cases, said without any additional details, military police are ultimately just “tossing around numbers to which we can attach very little meaning.”

The Canadian Press