A lawyer and veteran representing former cadets in a class-action lawsuit says the Canadian cadet program run by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) struggles with the same sexual behavior issues as the military.
Michael Bloys, a partner at Toronto personal injury law firm Diamond & Diamond, said the plaintiffs described a culture in the cadet program that included grooming, rampant sexual harassment and innuendo, and a lack of follow-up within units and summers. camps when cadets raised allegations of sexual misconduct with superiors.
Last year, Blois and his colleagues filed a class-action lawsuit for $300 million. In the lawsuit, they said the federal government has failed when it comes to “systemic sexual abuse, sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination” in the cadet program. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Cadets, who are between the ages of 12 and 18, are not CAF members, but CAF members oversee the program. The most senior cadet instructors are officers from the Army Reserve Forces, and members of the CAF are often involved in the training of cadets, particularly at summer camps. Canadian Cadet Organizations (CCOs) are the body officially responsible for the cadet program.
“If you have a sexualized, discriminatory environment within the Canadian Forces, no doubt that will spill over into the cadet organization,” Bloys told CBC News.
“There is an overlap between some members of the Canadian Forces and cadet units, either as volunteers or within the training structure … especially during the summer at the various camps.”
The most recent statistics DND would provide are from a 2020 military police report that showed there were 257 “substantial” incidents of sexual assault in cadet units and camps over a four-year period from 2016 to 2019. “Established ‘ means that law enforcement had enough evidence to confirm that the incidents had occurred.
Of the 257 incidents, military police classified 215 as sexual assaults, 19 as sexual offenses against children and 23 as other sexual offenses.
The goal of the cadet program is to “support the development of skills that will help youth transition into adulthood,” the Department of National Defense (DND) says on its website
The CAF said in response to CBC inquiries that the cadet program consists of 46,000 youth and more than 8,800 military and civilian members. An estimated 16,000 cadets attended summer cadet training centers in 2019, but on-site summer training was canceled due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. About 3,000 cadets attended summer training centers in 2022, CAF said .
The Cadet Program is not intended to streamline cadets in the Army. But Blois, a Canadian Army veteran who spent 11 years in the CAF, said sexual behavior issues in the cadet program can deter cadets from pursuing military careers.
“If they’re a victim, it’s probably put them off and that’s a real shame,” he said.
Chief of the Defense Staff General Wayne Ayer says the military is facing a huge shortage of personnel. A lawyer says sexual behavior in the cadet program could discourage young people from signing up. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
The military is struggling to meet its recruiting goals. Chief of the Defense Staff General Wayne Ayer estimates that the CAF is short of 10,000 members of the regular force.
Several high-ranking officers in the army have faced allegations of sexual misconduct, and a report last year by former High Court judge Louise Arbor called for changes to the CAF’s culture and practices to address the problem.
Bloys said sexual behavior among cadets will not improve until the CAF makes changes.
“Without a complete culture change in this regard, there will be no real change for the cadets,” he said.
Hilary Lockhart, a representative plaintiff in the class action, alleges that a cadet instructor cut her hair after she joined the cadets in 2008 at age 14. further actions.
After Hilary’s mother found obscene texts from the instructor on Hilary’s phone, she reported them to the police. Police later charged the instructor, who was convicted.
“I never thought the cadet program would be the worst thing that would ever happen to me and my family,” Lockhart said at a news conference last year that was posted on YouTube.
Lockhart called for more transparency about sexual misconduct among cadets.
“The fact that this dark history in the program is not being revealed to parents is extremely careless and, frankly, irresponsible,” she said.
A DND spokesman said he could not comment on ongoing litigation.
Sexual misconduct ‘not tolerated’ – CAF spokesman
Major Jen Jackson, senior public affairs officer for the Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers, said the protection, safety and well-being of the cadets is a top priority for the program.
“We do not tolerate sexual misconduct involving cadets, their instructors or anyone involved in the cadet program, and this includes not only unwanted physical contact, but also includes comments, behavior, all sexual contact with minors and text,” said Jackson in an emailed statement.
Jackson said any potential criminal offense is reported to police and the alleged perpetrator is suspended from cadet activities pending the outcome.
“Cadets are taught that unwanted sexual contact of any kind is unacceptable, and they are encouraged to report any incidents, whether the offender is a peer or a superior,” Jackson said.
“Counseling, chaplain, police, instructors and other resources are available to cadets who have experienced unwanted sexual touching.”
Jackson added that adults working with cadets are required to go through a number of vetting processes – including a police record check – every five years. The program also requires adults to undergo training to identify and address solicitation, sexual harassment and discriminatory behavior.
The expert says that hierarchical institutions are vulnerable to abuse
Dr. Michael Seto, a psychologist and director of forensic research at the Royal Ottawa Healthcare Group, said he was not surprised by the amount of sexual misconduct among cadets. Seto compared the issue to reports of culture in youth hockey and controversies over child sexual abuse in some religious organizations.
Seto said institutions with strong hierarchies — including adult supervision of children — can be prone to sexual abuse.
“We know that when there are these kinds of hierarchies, it can potentially increase the likelihood of this kind of behavior,” Seto told CBC News.
Victims and witnesses can also be discouraged from reporting sexual misconduct, Seto said.
“If they reveal it, they may be less likely to be believed.” They – quite rightly – may believe there are consequences if they do or say something,” he said.
Seto said there are ways the cadet program can address the problem. These include establishing clear and accessible reporting processes with appropriate follow-up, better observer training and a system to ensure more than one adult is present with cadets at all times.
Bloys said he hopes change starts with cadet leadership.
“I think it clouds the views of a lot of these young cadets about what they should be doing or what’s appropriate or what’s right or what’s wrong,” he said.
“Because the person attacking them or wooing them … is an authority figure that they look up to and are taught is an ethical, reasonable, proper person because of their rank or position.”
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