By Canadian Press

Military police under investigation over handling of sexual assault case

Sep 28, 2023 | 10:17 AM

OTTAWA — The Military Police Complaints Commission is investigating the way officers handled allegations of sexual assault against a soldier who took his own life. 

Military police charged Maj. Cristian Heistand, a flight instructor, with two counts of sexual assault in November 2021. 

The complainant alleged that Heistand sexually assaulted her twice, after they had just ended a relationship. 

Heistand died by suicide two months later, and his parents and sister filed separate complaints with the military police, saying they “rushed to judgement” and didn’t take a statement from the accused before laying charges. 

A military police officer has also filed a complaint alleging the investigating officers didn’t record the woman’s interview even though they could have, and that an off-duty sergeant tried to help with the investigation while intoxicated. 

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The commission decided to launch a public interest investigation last November, but because the case is also the subject of an internal review, it delayed a public announcement of the probe until today.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2023.

The Canadian Press