Canadian military says doubling in sex-assault reports a sign of progress
OTTAWA — The Canadian Forces are explaining a dramatic increase in the number of sexual-assault reports last year as proof that efforts to crack down on such illicit behaviour in the military are having a positive impact — and not that there have been more actual crimes.
Military authorities received 111 reports of sexual assault between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018, according to new figures provided to The Canadian Press. That was more than double the 47 such reports received over the previous year.
While those numbers appear troubling, at least on the surface, the head of the military’s sexual misconduct response team suggested that they in fact represent a sign of progress in the Forces’ commitment to eliminate such offences from the ranks.
“It’s a positive indication that people feel free to come forward,” Commodore Rebecca Patterson, who took over command of the response team in July, said in an interview on Thursday.