Julia LennipsAbove image: (L to R) General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff; The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence; and Jody Thomas, Deputy Minister of National Defence, apologized to current and former members of the Defence Team and Veterans affected by sexual assault, sexual harassment or discrimination due to sex, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation, on behalf of the Government of Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Department of National Defence, respectively. Photo credit: Department of National Defence
On Monday, Anita Anand, minister of national defence, apologized on behalf of the Government of Canada to current and former members of the Defence Team and Veterans who have experienced or been affected by sexual assault, sexual harassment, and discrimination based on sex, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.
“We recognize the terrible toll this has had on you, your loved ones, and families,” Eyre expressed on behalf of the CAF.
General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff, also apologized on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and Jody Thomas, Deputy Minister of National Defence, apologized on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND).
“I acknowledge that successive governments have failed to stamp out sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination based on sex, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation in the military,” Anand said in her apology on behalf of the Government of Canada, “To all Canadians who signed up to serve our country and answered the call of service only to find that you were disrespected, and justice eluded you: we are sorry. I am sorry.”
Push for Positive Change
The apologies from today recognized the suffering of those affected by their experiences, and those who have come forward to share their experiences to push for positive change.
Many of the apologies also acknowledged the pain the Defence Team, Veterans, and current and former CAF members have dealt with for many years due to a lack of action taken by institutional leadership.
“We recognize the terrible toll this has had on you, your loved ones, and families,” Eyre expressed on behalf of the CAF.
Thomas, on behalf of DND, offered her apology with humility and remorse, “for the enormity of the distress caused, and without any expectation that my words alone will be sufficient to atone for harm done. I offer it as just one action of many now underway, and soon to come, to address past and current wrongs, and to support — as much as possible — every person’s path to healing.”
He continued, “I extend my most sincere and heartfelt apologies to all members of the Defence Team, past and present, whose service to our country has subjected them to the harm of sexual misconduct or discrimination based gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We recognize this apology will mean different things to each and every one of you. It is my most profound hope that it will come to represent an important step in our journey towards healing.”
Thomas, on behalf of DND, offered her apology with humility and remorse, “for the enormity of the distress caused, and without any expectation that my words alone will be sufficient to atone for harm done. I offer it as just one action of many now underway, and soon to come, to address past and current wrongs, and to support — as much as possible — every person’s path to healing.”
As explained in a press release written by the Department of National Defence, these apologies may trigger strong emotional responses. For anyone who has experienced an incident of sexual misconduct, there are resources to support current and former members of the Defence Team.
Sexual Misconduct Response Centre
The Sexual Misconduct Response Centre (SMRC) provides 24/7 confidential support by telephone at 1-844-750-1648 and by email here. A trained counsellor will take the call, listen, discuss the kind of resources best suited to the individual’s needs, and help with any next steps. The SMRC is independent of the CAF chain of command, and counsellors do not have a duty to report.
Additional resources can be found here.
Sexual misconduct in the CAF and the DND
Almost 19,000 claims were filed in the DND/CAF Sexual Misconduct Class Action Settlement. As part of the settlement, the Restorative Engagement program started on Nov. 15. The initial group of claimants contacted to participate is small to make sure all the resources, supports, and systems are in place to accommodate a larger group of class members, beginning in 2022.
A claimant can change their claim to express interest in the Restorative Engagement program if their claim was submitted on or before Nov. 24, 2021.
The Independent External Comprehensive Review, led by Madame Arbour, is also ongoing. Interim recommendations were made on Oct. 20 and accepted by Minister Anand on Nov. 3, and the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal and the Director of Military Prosecutions are working to implement them.
According to the press release, “This neutral, third-party review is independent of the DND/CAF, and is considering all relevant independent reviews conducted to date concerning the DND/CAF, along with their findings and recommendations. Recommendations on establishing external oversight and/or review mechanisms related to misconduct will also be included.”
Budget 2021
Budget 2021 also provides $236.2 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, and $33.5 million per year ongoing to the DND and Veterans Affairs Canada (including $158.5 million over five years and $29.9 million per year ongoing funded from existing resources) to support work to eliminate sexual misconduct and gender-based violence in the military and support survivors.
