A Canadian soldier is facing charges of sexual assault, drunkenness and disgraceful behaviour connected to an incident in Jamaica.
The alleged victim is also a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, according to a press release from National Defence.
The alleged assault took place while the accused was deployed as a member of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) in November 2015.
Lt.-Col. Francis Bolduc, Commanding Officer of the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, said the “charges reflect our ongoing commitment to support efforts throughout the organization to help ensure a respectful, healthy professional environment for all members.”
The military is currently working to implement a number of recommendations outlined in a report from former Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps, who wrote in 2015 that the military has a highly sexualized culture that can be hostile to women.
Cpl. Simon Cadieux of the Joint Personnel Support Unit in Petawawa, Ont., faces a charge of sexual assault under the Criminal Code and National Defence Act. He also faces defence act charges of behaving in a disgraceful manner and drunkenness.
