The findings of a highly-anticipated report about how to tackle sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will be made public in the “coming days,” a spokesperson for Defence Minister Anita Anand says.
Anand received the report from former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour on May 20 and has ten days to make it public.
Last April, the government tasked Arbour with shedding light on the prevalence of harassment and sexual misconduct in the military’s ranks and providing recommendations about how best to set up an independent, external reporting system for defence team members.
The review was launched amid a year of multiple misconduct investigations among the CAF’s highest-ranking members, deepening the call for a complete, internal culture shift.
The revolving door of senior officers stepping down or stepping aside stirred up criticism not only of the military leadership, but also of the federal government for not taking action to protect victims.
Anand has already accepted one of Arbour’s suggestions to transfer cases involving sexual assault, and other criminal offences of a sexual nature under the Criminal Code, to civilian authorities.
