OTTAWA — Statistics Canada has offered a sobering assessment of the Canadian Forces’ four-year war on sexual misconduct, suggesting in a new report Wednesday that the military has made only minimal progress on several fronts. On the surface, the survey yielded several reasons for optimism: fewer military members reported having witnessed or experienced sexualized or discriminatory behaviour over the previous 12 months than in the first survey. Sexual assault includes a sexual attack, unwanted sexual touching or sexual activity without consent. Similar numbers reported feeling inappropriate sexual behaviour was not tolerated in their units and that the military was working hard to create a workplace that prevents such activity. “These efforts continue to be necessary, but they don’t get to the heart of the problem.”Commanders have grappled with the issue of sexual misconduct in the ranks since media reports in April 2014 that a large number of military sexual assaults were being ignored or played down.

Source: National Post May 22, 2019 13:22 UTC