Sexual Assault & Sexual Misconduct in the CF

[The Bread Guy]

The Ottawa Citizen is reporting that the Chief of Defence Staff launches review after ‘disturbing’ sex assault allegations ....

It'll be interesting to see:
1)  what conclusions said review reaches;
2)  what will be shared with the public;
3)  what the media take-away will be; and
4)  what the public take-away will be.
Think "inverse pyramid" re:  how much of the original makes it through to media consumers.

 

[Lightguns]

I think in the criminal code, sexual assault must involve some form of touching, and is divided into minor sexual assault (touching for a sexual purpose) and major sexual assault (an act of a sexual nature form which permission has not be attained, including penetration, an "attempt to penetrate" as well as anal and oral penetration).  Words spoken are harassment. 

That being said the bases are still very much a sexual hunting grounds for our younger members and alot of behavior is tolerated simply because no one complains and should not be tolerated.  We have a unique workplace in that much of our younger members hang out together in workplace supplied canteens and messes.  Lines are easily crossed and alcohol is flowing freely after duty hours.  Yes, I understand universities but they are dissimilar as the populations of male and female are roughly equal.   

 

[Tibbson]

I wonder if the stats of military police investigations   into sexual assault take into account false allegations.

Good point.  The incident report is labelled"sexual assault" while the report status indicates if the incident could be substantiated or not or, if someone admits it as a false allegation.  On the surfase though the titles and offence types are all the same.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I await their study and report into the same issue at Canada's highest ranking universities.  Most reputable hospitals.  School boards from every province.

I don't think they'll stop just at the CAF because it's a good story and easy group to isolate.  ^-^

 

[OldSolduer]

I await their study and report into the same issue at Canada's highest ranking universities.  Most reputable hospitals.  School boards from every province.

I don't think they'll stop just at the CAF because it's a good story and easy group to isolate.  ^-^

Many of those that are educated at those universities are left wing in nature, and really don't like the idea of an armed force having to protect the nation. The media will probably not poke too far into any university.
It's a very difficult issue to deal with, as there will always be those who think "the military is hiding something" or "these Neanderthals must be reined in.. Knuckledraggers have no place in society" etc....

 

[brihard]

'Sexual assault' as a criminal charge encompasses everything from an unwanted grope, to full out forcible rape. There's no distinction between the two in the criminal code.

'Good' crime data comes from two sources: The Uniform Crime Reports are police generated statistics of every reported criminal offence, whether it can be substantiated or not.  The other good source is victimization surveys compiled by Statistics Canada.

Unfortunately sex assault is simultaneously one of the most under reported AND one of the most falsely reported crimes out there. False reports may happen because a victim (usually female) is acting maliciously with a false allegation, or to 'cover' for (usually drunken) infidelity where they claim they were sexually assaulted in a sort of buyers remorse. Under reporting of sex assault generally comes form people thinking the police won't be able to do anything about it, or out of a desire not to invite disturbance into familial / intimate relationships. A person won't report being sexually assaulted by their spouse for fear of breaking the family up. A victim won't report being sexually assaulted because of fears of mockery or stigma. A victim who was sexually assaulted by a family member (often repeatedly over years) for fear of being disbelieved, or because 'you don't report family' or what have you.

Sex assault is found throughout society, in all institutions. I would hope that Macleans has gone to the effort to compare reported sex assault rates within the CF with reported sex assault rates not just int he population as a whole, but also corrected for demographic.

You get a bunch of people together, sexual assaults will happen, especially with alcohol (something we all know troops are fond of), and an alpha male mindset.

 

[OldSolduer]

Thanks Bri

This reminds me of a Sgt who had been tossed in civilian jail for sexual assault.


The story I got from him, which I believe to be true, is that he was having some fun with another guys wife and they got caught. Easier to cry rape I guess.....

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I would hope that Macleans has gone to the effort to compare reported sex assault rates within the CF with reported sex assault rates not just int he population as a whole, but also corrected for demographic.

*hope*

You get a bunch of people together, sexual assaults will happen, especially with alcohol (something we all know troops are fond of), and an alpha male mindset.

Once upon a time, I worked as a bouncer.  The worst 2 kinds of offenders I saw lots of were (1) young male university students and (2) young male hockey players.  I saw more 'misconduct' to ladies from those 2 groups the few years (4-5) I was a bouncer than my entire time (just shy of 25 years) in the CF around army, navy and air force units.

But, it isn't like stuff is happening that is disturbing at, say, universities for example, right? Say, like chants and stuff!!  Certainly not at places like SMU in Halifax!  Oh...wait.  I don't think I've seen CAF members doing chants like this at unit functions. 

 

[zulu95]

You're absolute right Bri.

There was a case in my family where my aunt was repeatedly raped at night by her father and no one knew about it until over a year after he died because she was afraid of the stigma and damage to the family that might have been caused by telling any one.
On the other hand I went to school with a girl who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a teacher until the investigation showed that he had a rock solid alibi so she confessed to making it up to get him fired.

 

[brihard]

Thanks Bri

This reminds me of a Sgt who had been tossed in civilian jail for sexual assault.


The story I got from him, which I believe to be true, is that he was having some fun with another guys wife and they got caught. Easier to cry rape I guess.....

Yup. The corollary to that being that police forces used to be far too quick to call 'bull****' on sexual assault allegations, and that in reponse the pendulum swung all the way the other way.

Sex assault investigations are frustrating, lengthy, and often fruitless. Cops hate dealing with them for the most part. Between the amount of BS beind spewed, the scummy nature of a lot of the people you deal with, and the tendency for victims to suddenly recant halfway through an investigation (even when you're damned sure that what they allege did happen), it sucks for cops to work on. And so police force policies often hedge against this by mandating that every allegation be taken fully seriously and investigated as such. So that means that in a BS report, such as the 'oops, I cheated. Rape!' that happens somewhat frequently, people whoa re guilty of nothing more than being a cuckold end up charged. Even is charges are later stayed by the crown (which is NOT the same as them being dismissed), that person remains tainted by the allegation.

But perplexingly, we need to get more actual victims to step forward and say 'yeah, this happened'. I'm dealing right now with a friend who's been through years of it and isn't willing to report things to police. It friggin' sucks.

*hope*

Once upon a time, I worked as a bouncer.  The worst 2 kinds of offenders I saw lots of were (1) young male university students and (2) young male hockey players.  I saw more 'misconduct' to ladies from those 2 groups the few years (4-5) I was a bouncer than my entire time (just shy of 25 years) in the CF around army, navy and air force units.

But, it isn't like stuff is happening that is disturbing at, say, universities for example, right? Say, like chants and stuff!!  Certainly not at places like SMU in Halifax!  Oh...wait.  I don't think I've seen CAF members doing chants like this at unit functions. 

Yup, I hear ya...

 

[PMedMoe]

I await their study and report into the same issue at Canada's highest ranking universities.  Most reputable hospitals.  School boards from every province.

I don't think they'll stop just at the CAF because it's a good story and easy group to isolate.  ^-^

Don't forget the RCMP....

 

[OldSolduer]

*hope*

Once upon a time, I worked as a bouncer.  The worst 2 kinds of offenders I saw lots of were (1) young male university students and (2) young male hockey players. 

One of our players in Winnipeg who plays at a high level was scratched for several games for an undisclosed injury. The story is that he was trying  to pick up "chicks" at the bar and one of the boyfriends of a young lady objects to this. When the hockey player said "do you know who I am?" (Typical response from a spoiled brat pro athlete) the response was "yeah I do" and it was followed by a few lefts and rights....hence his absence from the line up.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

According the CCC, there are four levels of sexual assault:

Sexual assault level 1 (s.271): An assault committed in circumstances of a sexual nature such that the sexual integrity of the victim is violated. Level 1 involves minor physical injuries or no injuries to the victim.
Sexual assault level 2 (s.272): Sexual assault with a weapon, threats, or causing bodily harm.
Aggravated sexual assault (level 3): Sexual assault that results in wounding, maiming, disfiguring or endangering the life of the victim.
Other sexual offences: A group of offences that are meant to primarily address incidents of sexual abuse directed at children. The Criminal Code offences included in this category are: Sexual interference (s.151), Invitation to sexual touching (s.152), Sexual exploitation (s.153), Incest (s.155), Anal intercourse (s.159), and Bestiality (s.160).

Two related offences, not included under the definition of sexual offences in this report, are indecent acts (s.173) and corrupting morals (s.163).

Source: Stats Canada: Sexual Assault in Canada

From the Highlights section of same report: The majority of sexual offences in Canada are of a less severe nature. Victimization data indicate that most sexual assaults involved unwanted sexual touching (81%) rather than more severe sexual attacks (19%). Among the incidents that came to the attention of police in 2007, the large majority (86%) were level 1, the least serious form of sexual assault.

- When asked why they did not tell the police about the sexual assault, a majority of victims (58%) said that they did not report the incident because it was not important enough.

 

[Tibbson]

From the Highlights section of same report: The majority of sexual offences in Canada are of a less severe nature. Victimization data indicate that most sexual assaults involved unwanted sexual touching (81%) rather than more severe sexual attacks (19%). Among the incidents that came to the attention of police in 2007, the large majority (86%) were level 1, the least serious form of sexual assault.

- When asked why they did not tell the police about the sexual assault, a majority of victims (58%) said that they did not report the incident because it was not important enough.

Kinda hard to make a sensational headline and sell copies out of that so I can see why they wrote what they did.

 

[McG]

CBC is reporting what is in l'Actualité, and soon to be in Macleans.  From what I understand, they looked at reported assaults, which average 178 per year.  Certain sources posit that only one in ten assaults is reported.  Therefore, they apply math: if 178 assaults represent one in ten, therefore there are 1780 per year, which comes out to just under five per day.

Of course, it is known that the CAF is not a statistical microcosm of the nation.  As a population, the CAF shows a number of statistically significant deviations from Canadians as a whole.  One cannot assume the military follows an estimated Canadian average that only 1 in 10 sexual assaults are reported.  It would be irresponsible to present this extrapolation with any degree of certainty. 

Personally, I would like to think we have a much higher rate of reporting.  There is a very effective system to educate every CAF member about the military's disdain for sexual misconduct and abuses of any sort.  Victims and leaders everywhere should know that such behavior will not be tolerated and offenders are to be held to account.  I would hope we have created an environment where victims know and feel that they are safe coming forward.

That being said, I don't doubt that there are assaults that go unreported.  I would be disappointed but not surprised to learn that only 1 in 5 are reported within the military.  Speculating is no more helpful than extrapolating from a biased sample.  If there is not already statistical data from which to determine the military rate of reporting sexual assault (and I seem to recall questions that would lead to such data on past CAF health or satisfaction surveys), then maybe the CAF needs to get this information in its next the survey/census.

 

[Brad Sallows]

The three basic problems with putting up numbers to blow up the skirts of the easily shocked in order to sell paper have been hit above, but to summarize:
1) What fits the definition (should be well-defined)
2) What are the proportions of true and false allegations in the mix (fuzzy)
3) Extent to which extrapolations for some other groups can be fitted to CF (wild-ass guess)

If people are serious about addressing the problem of sexual assault, every federal, provincial, and municipal agency should be subject to whatever investigative and corrective measures are deemed appropriate for the CF.  The CF doesn't need to be the poster boy.

 

[MilEME09]

The three basic problems with putting up numbers to blow up the skirts of the easily shocked in order to sell paper have been hit above, but to summarize:
1) What fits the definition (should be well-defined)
2) What are the proportions of true and false allegations in the mix (fuzzy)
3) Extent to which extrapolations for some other groups can be fitted to CF (wild-*** guess)

If people are serious about addressing the problem of sexual assault, every federal, provincial, and municipal agency should be subject to whatever investigative and corrective measures are deemed appropriate for the CF.  The CF doesn't need to be the poster boy.

One thing that was brought up by Global is that this isn't just Soldier on soldier complaints but also Civilian on soldier complaints that happen on DND property.

 

[pontcanna]

I imagine many here have seen this rather harrowing documentary about the issue in the US forces?

http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Invisible_War/70229264?sod=search-autocomplete

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_invisible_war/

 

[Brad Sallows]

I imagine not.  "Documentary", as a film category, ceased to have any meaning a few years back.

 

[OldSolduer]

I imagine not.  "Documentary", as a film category, ceased to have any meaning a few years back.

Now it's a witch hunt.