Military police reopening 23 ‘unfounded’ sex assault cases
OTTAWA— The Canadian Armed Forces has reopened 23 cases of alleged sexual assault after revisiting dozens of files previously dismissed by military police as “unfounded.”
The move follows an internal review last year that found nearly one in every three sexual assault complaints logged with military police between 2010 and 2016 was deemed unfounded — a designation applied when investigators determine an offence did not occur.
That rate was higher than most civilian police forces in Canada and appeared to confirm some victims’ complaints that the Armed Forces did not investigate their cases properly and hold perpetrators accountable.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, which investigates all major crimes in the military, subsequently launched a review of 179 cases and announced Thursday that 113 were indeed unfounded.
Another 43 were found to have been valid complaints that were properly investigated but did not have enough evidence to lay a charge and mislabelled as unfounded. The correct term in policespeak is “founded, not cleared.”
Military investigators are now poring over the remaining 23 cases to see if additional evidence can be obtained and charges laid, said Lt.-Col. Kevin Cadman, the commander of the military’s investigation service.
That includes going back to the victims for further information or reaching out to witnesses and trying to corroborate what information was provided during the initial investigation.
Many police forces in Canada have been revisiting sexual assault cases labelled as unfounded since a Globe and Mail investigation last year flagged concerns that such complaints are often under-investigated.
Military officials have previously acknowledged that investigating sexual assault cases years after the fact can be difficult, but Cadman pushed back against suggestions authorities failed victims by not properly investigating their complaints.
Previously, many incidents would have been handled by less-experienced military police officers at whichever Canadian Forces base or facility the alleged incident occurred. All sexual assault complaints are now handled by the investigative service.
“One may argue that having one file that we took a misstep on or didn’t corroborate information is too much,” Cadman said. “But ... it’s never too late to get it right, and now is the time to do so.”
More than two dozen service members have been kicked out of the forces since Canada's top military officer promised in 2016 to take no prisoners when it came to sexual misconduct in the ranks.
Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance warned Forces members last year that he would seek to remove anyone who is found to have acted inappropriately.