Ottawa may help alleged victims of peacekeepers
Global Affairs aware of five suspected cases of sex abuse, exploitation by Canadians in Haiti
The federal government is considering support for victims of alleged sexual ex- ploitation and abuse by peacekeepers after a damning UN report brought the number of Canadian offenders — whose names are being kept secret — to five, the Star has learned.
The news of potential victim support comes just days after it was revealed two Quebec provincial police officers retired before they faced disciplinary hearings for alleged sexual exploitation or abuse while on a UN mission in Haiti. By leaving, the officers avoided being disciplined by the force.
Documents prepared in February by the deputy minister of foreign affairs for Global Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion show Ottawa was aware of five separate cases of alleged sexual exploitation or abuse by Canadian peacekeepers in Haiti dating to 2013. In two incidents, Canadian peacekeepers have been accused of fathering children with Haitian women.
Currently, Ottawa has no policy or legislation to address paternity claims for victims abused by Canadian peacekeepers sent to protect them.
Two police officers retired before they faced disciplinary hearings over allegations made in Haiti
Global Affairs told the Star the Canadian government is examining the way it handles complaints of abuse against Canadian peacekeepers, particularly when paternity claims are made.
“(Canada) is considering how best to address the issue of paternity claims as well as victim assistance generally in the UN context,” Global Affairs spokesperson Diana Khaddaj said in an email.
But when asked what specifically the government is considering, and when a decision is expected to be made, Global Affairs refused to offer any details as the Liberal government intends to “re-engage” in a UN peacekeeping program.
The total of Canadian peacekeepers who were linked to the allegations climbed to five when the UN reported this year that two more Canadians had allegedly engaged in sexual exploitation and abuse of women while on mission in Haiti.
Dion was told in February in the information memorandum — which summarizes the UN investigation and was obtained by the Star under an access to information law — that women can pursue justice themselves if they have the resources to launch a case in Canadian courts.
Paula Donovan, co-director of the Code Blue Campaign, said that for many women such recourse remains “out of reach.”
“Even if a woman knows the identity of the perpetrator and is able to launch a paternity claim in a national court, staff rotation makes it likely that the father will have already moved to another post, and may not be compelled to return to the mother’s country to appear in a child support case,” Donovan said.
“What’s more, the UN is not an honest broker in this process. . . . They cannot advocate for the rights of the mother and child while also defending and protecting one of their own.”
A UN peacekeeping spokesperson said it makes medical, psychosocial and legal services available to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse “through a network of partners to ensure immediate assistance and support.”
The spokesperson also said that the UN “will take action to facilitate paternity claims by liaising with member states” and is encouraging these nations to do more to facilitate paternity and child support claims.
The spokesperson added that in one paternity case “the father has agreed to pay child support and is still currently paying on a monthly basis together with the school fees.”
“In the second case, the UN is in touch with the Canadian government on the matter, including what assistance the authorities can provide to claimants to facilitate the resolution of a paternity claim and ensure that child support is provided, “the spokesperson said.
Emma Phillips, a Toronto lawyer who worked on an independent UN panel reviewing the international body’s response to sexual exploitation, said that “as a country that does contribute troops and police, we have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute these cases in a meaningful way.”
“Within the bounds of the Canadian legal system, we should take creative measures to ensure that victims are able to testify and participate in our legal process, so that the victims can see justice being done,” she said.
The UN did not respond when asked to provide the name of the peacekeepers and the forces they worked for. Asked about the identities of peacekeepers and potential criminal charges, Global Affairs Canada referred questions to the RCMP, which did not respond Friday afternoon.
The Star is not aware of any criminal charges in the five cases.
According to the UN’s peacekeeping website, the agency “has a zerotolerance policy with respect to sexual exploitation and abuse.”
“UN rules forbid sexual relations with prostitutes and with any persons under 18, and strongly discourage relations with beneficiaries of assistance (those that are receiving assistance food, housing, aid, etc. . . . as a result of a conflict, natural disaster or other humanitarian crisis, or in a development setting),” it reads.
Of the five Canadian peacekeepers, two were sergeants in the Sûreté du Québec. Both have since quit. Another is a Mountie but the RCMP will not reveal details for privacy reasons. And the Star could not determine what forces the other two belong to.
The Star found little transparency about what happened in the five cases against Canadian peacekeepers — or exactly what consequences the police officers faced. According to the UN, four of the officers were barred from future UN service and one was suspended for nine days.
On Thursday, a Sûreté du Québec spokesman, Capt. Guy Lapointe, confirmed two of the service’s officers were accused of “sexual misconduct” while working as United Nations peacekeepers in Haiti.
Both quit before their internal disciplinary hearings, Lapointe said. “So, the disciplinary committee lost jurisdiction,” he said.
Lapointe said the men could not be identified because neither matter had been tested in a Canadian court. Police can lay charges but only if an accuser comes forward.
The first case took place in January 2013 when one of the officers allegedly solicited the services of a sex worker at a bar that is off limits to peacekeepers, Lapointe said. “When the officer returned to Quebec, the situation was brought to our attention.”
An internal hearing was scheduled for April 2015, but the officer quit before it could take place.
The second case took place between September 2014 and January 2015, and came to light when an officer was reported by colleagues to have been engaged in a sexual relationship with a Haitian resident, Lapointe said. The sergeant also quit before his disciplinary hearing.
The five cases are not isolated incidents, but fall within a broader spate of sexual exploitation or abuse that has embroiled the UN in controversy and caused some to question the viability of peacekeeping.
After disturbing revelations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers against children in the Central African Republic came to light last year, the UN has been trying to strengthen “zerotolerance” policies against exploitation. Ongoing reports of violations, however, have undermined the confidence in the organization’s efforts to address the issue.
Canadian peacekeeping has been a source of national pride, even as Canada’s commitment to UN peacekeeping has shifted from boots on the ground to funding operations.
Another set of documents obtained by the Star show that as of November 2015, Canada had 116 personnel deployed to five UN operations. The documents, also prepared for Dion, show that although Canada is the ninth-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, at $240 million a year, it ranks 68th among124 countries in terms of police and troops actively engaged in peacekeeping.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his government will re-engage with peacekeeping efforts — a centrepiece of the Liberals’ foreign policy platform in last year’s election. In July, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan the government is considering deploying Canadian troops to UN missions in Africa. One mission reportedly being considered is Mali, where Canadians’ ability to speak French would be an asset — as it was in Haiti.
If Canada plans to increase peacekeeping operations, Phillips said, it’s crucial to do so “with eyes wide open.”
“Canada has an important role to play in trying to preserve (peacekeeping) for current use and future use and to rebuild trust and regain effectiveness,” Phillips said.
“If we are going to reengage with peacekeeping we need to do so with an appreciation of the fact that peacekeeping is in crisis.” With files from David Bruser, Verity Stevenson and Bruce Campion-Smith