Military claims progress in sexual-assault reports

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.

“We have to combine that with the fact that things that may have been overlooked in the past are now being reported because there is the understanding among members of the (military) that they will report if they see things.”

However, the military did not provide a breakdown on when the alleged sexual assaults actually occurred, and Patterson admitted that officials are still wrestling with questions about the figures, which were gathered from across the entire Forces.

“As we move forward and we build the analytics piece into those various databases, the intent would be to be able to say: Are these occurring cases with serving members or historical cases based on a timeframe?” she said.