By Canadian Press

New fund aims to reimburse legal fees for victims of military sexual misconduct

May 11, 2023 | 12:09 PM

OTTAWA — The military’s independent sexual misconduct support and resource centre is now offering to help victims of misconduct pay for legal services.

The centre will review applications to reimburse military personnel and those who’ve faced misconduct by a Canadian Armed Forces member for legal fees for criminal proceedings and for up to four hours of advice.

The resource centre’s services are also being expanded to include cadets, junior rangers and members of the defence community over age 16.

The changes were among the 48 recommendations made by former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour in a 2022 report aimed at addressing sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Officials told reporters today that they’ve also launched a call for members of the defence community who’ve been the victims of sexual misconduct to join a consultation group.

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Linda Rizzo Michelin, the reponse centre’s chief operating officer, says that’s to allow people to share their experiences and help develop future programs and services.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

The Canadian Press