National Defence Minister Rob Nicholson, right, and General Tom Lawson, Chief of Defence Staff |
Even I was surprised, and I was a victim in the 1980s. The figures must be too high. They mean that a little over 2.6% of members would be assaulted in any given year – a rate about two times higher than that estimated for the general public, depending what figures are used. But a review of statistics from the U.S. and a lengthy conversation with a journalist convinced me that it was accurate. I also recalled a conversation with a colleague who said that he believed every woman in the Forces deals with either serious sexual harassment or assault at some point.
The military brass cannot have been surprised – or, if they were, they were negligent. Statistics must be reported up the chain. They must certainly have heard – or perhaps dealt with – cases that never faced a formal charge. (more...)
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