Defence Minister Anita Anand speaks with reporters before attending Question Period, in Ottawa, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – Retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour is accusing Canadian military leaders of dragging their feet when it comes to fighting sexual misconduct in the ranks.
She delivered the scathing indictment while appearing before a parliamentary committee today, some six months after she issued dozens of recommendations to improve the military’s handling of inappropriate, and even criminal, sexual misconduct.
Earlier today, Defence Minister Anita Anand gave Parliament an update on the military’s progress in acting on those recommendations.
Anand says all of the recommendations have been accepted, but Arbour says there are clear signs that military leaders are resisting many of them.
Arbour says she has seen resistance to removing military jurisdiction over the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault and other related crimes.
The Canadian Armed Forces says military police had to investigate dozens of alleged sexual crimes over the last year after civilian authorities refused to accept 40 out of 97 cases.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2022.
