Anand stands by military police chief despite force’s mishandling of cases

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OTTAWA — Defence Minister Anita Anand is standing by defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre’s choice to maintain Canada’s high navy police officer in his job for one more two years.

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The extension was introduced late Tuesday, the identical day {that a} complaints fee requested Provost Marshal Brig.-Gen. Simon Trudeau to apologize to 2 navy cadets.

The apologies associated to critical issues with the dealing with of a case of alleged sexual misconduct and an tried suicide on the Royal Army Faculty in Kingston, Ont.

Whereas the Army Police Complaints Fee says Trudeau did concern apology letters to the 2 cadets, the incident follows quite a few questions concerning the conduct and requirements of navy police.

Anand advised reporters at a defence convention on Wednesday that she nonetheless has confidence in Eyre’s choice to increase Trudeau in his place for one more two years.

“I’ve confidence in Basic Eyre and his appointments, and we are going to proceed to work very onerous to make sure the best requirements of integrity within the Canadian Armed Forces,” Anand mentioned when requested if she has confidence in Trudeau.

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The navy on Tuesday introduced Trudeau was being prolonged to supervise reforms of the navy police and justice system in response to a number of current evaluations and experiences, together with one this week from retired Supreme Court docket justice Louise Arbour.

Arbour’s scathing report included dozens of suggestions to handle sexual misconduct within the ranks, together with completely transferring the investigation and prosecution of sexual circumstances of a prison nature from navy to civilian authorities.

“It is very important proceed to make sure the switch of circumstances from the navy justice system to the civilian justice system,” Anand mentioned about Trudeau’s extension.

“It is vital for us to recollect to work onerous on the values which are so essential, and that’s what we are going to do day-after-day with that (Trudeau) and everybody within the Canadian Armed Forces in management positions.”

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Certainly one of Arbour’s different suggestions is to rethink the necessity for devoted navy schools reminiscent of RMC and its French equal in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., which some see as a breeding floor for sexualized attitudes within the Forces.

The Army Police Complaints Fee on Tuesday revealed that it had requested Trudeau to apologize to 2 cadets after an investigation discovered navy police had severely botched a case in 2019.

The investigation specifically discovered that navy police didn’t conduct a correct investigation after a feminine officer cadet on the Royal Army Faculty reported a fellow scholar was harassing her and had dedicated sexual offences in opposition to her.

Army police have been additionally discovered to have finished little to answer the feminine cadet’s security issues, or her issues that the opposite scholar was affected by psychological well being points.

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The male scholar additionally tried to kill himself on two separate events after navy police advised him he would “in all probability” face prison costs, the fee mentioned. Finally, no costs have been laid within the case.

Trudeau discovered himself defending the independence and professionalism of his investigators on a number of events final 12 months as members of a parliamentary committee grilled him over how they take care of circumstances of sexual misconduct.

These questions coincided with allegations of sexual misconduct in opposition to a number of senior navy officers, together with the previous chief of the defence workers, normal Jonathan Vance, and his successor, admiral Artwork McDonald.

Vance finally pleaded responsible to 1 rely of obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 80 hours of group service. McDonald was not charged.

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Trudeau’s extension was certainly one of dozens of recent appointments introduced Tuesday together with the retirement of almost 30 senior navy officers.

Amongst these retiring are Vice-Admiral Haydn Edmundson, who was charged with sexual assault and indecent acts final 12 months. He’ll retire forward of a trial scheduled for August 2023.

Tuesday’s announcement additionally confirmed the retirement of Lt.-Gen. Trevor Cadieu, who hung up his uniform in April whereas being investigated for alleged sexual misconduct earlier than heading to Ukraine.

Anand wouldn’t touch upon whether or not she was briefed about Cadieu’s retirement and journey to Ukraine to help the nation’s defence in opposition to Russia’s invasion.