OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada’s defense minister and its high army officer on Monday provided a dwell televised apology for the federal government’s failure to do sufficient to curb what they admitted was systemic sexual misconduct and discrimination within the nation’s armed forces.
Newly appointed Defence Minister Anita Anand stated far too many individuals in uniform had suffered sexual assault or discrimination primarily based on sex, gender identification or sexual orientation.
“This misconduct and abuse of energy led to a disaster of damaged belief within the defense staff,” added Anand, named by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the submit in October after complaints that her male predecessor Harjit Sajjan had not accomplished sufficient to tackle the issue.
General Wayne Eyre, chief of Canada’s defense workers, advised the televised occasion that army leaders had betrayed the belief of service members.
Several senior present and former commanders – together with two chiefs of the defense workers – have been accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate conduct.
Women troopers have complained that the Liberal authorities of Trudeau, an avowed feminist, has not accomplished sufficient to tackle a difficulty highlighted in a landmark 2015 report.
“Today, as minister of nationwide defense, I’m apologizing to you on behalf of the federal government of Canada,” Anand stated. “We should acknowledge the ache and trauma that so many have endured as a result of the very establishment charged with defending and defending our nation has not all the time protected and defended its personal members.”
Almost 20,000 serving and retired members of the army, in addition to civilian defense employees, have submitted claims alleging sexual misconduct as a part of a class-action lawsuit towards the federal government.
In April, the federal government put newly promoted Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan answerable for a staff addressing systemic misconduct contained in the armed forces. It additionally requested former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour to lead a probe into army harassment and sexual misconduct.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Will Dunham)
