Former Afghan interpreter suing Global Affairs employee, Canadian government for alleged sexual assaults

WARNING: This story con‐ tains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers

A female former Afghan interpreter who worked for the Canadian government in Kandahar, Afghanistan is suing a Global Affairs em‐ ployee and the Canadian government for millions of dollars, alleging she was the victim of sexual assaults be‐ tween 2011 and 2013.

The woman's civil suit seeks $1.75 million from the defendant for punitive dam‐ ages, mental suffering and loss of future or past economic gain. She is also seeking more than $1 million in damages from the federal government.

The federal government hired the interpreter in 2009 to help with the International Security Assistance Force, the multinational military mis‐ sion that included Canada. She was 15 years old at the time.

The woman's identity was previously subject to a publi‐ cation ban, but the former in‐ terpreter successfully sought to have that ban lifted.

"I have determined that the way to reclaim my voice will be by telling my story and empowering other women who are facing, have faced, similar injustices to do the same," she said in court doc‐ uments.

Lawyers for the unidenti‐ fied Global Affairs employee being accused of sexual as‐ sault have filed a statement of defence denying the alle‐ gations. CBC News is not naming him because he has not been charged criminally and the allegations have not been tested in court.

The woman has asked CBC News not to use her name because of the nature of the allegations. She is not named in the court docu‐ ments.

"I became the only female interpreter at Camp Nathan Smith. While working on the case, and without realizing what was happening, I was groomed by a senior Govern‐ ment of Canada official," the woman said in a statement issued to CBC News.

"As a result of my work with Canada, my life was un‐ der threat by the Taliban," the statement continues. "I was eventually lucky enough to be chosen to come to Canada. This individual offer‐ ed me a place to stay in his home in Canada and ulti‐ mately went on to abuse me. What was supposed to be a beautiful story has become horrific and life-changing."

Alleged abuse began as 'father-daughter' relation‐ ship

In court documents, she alleges that the defendant, employed by Global Affairs Canada, began what she de‐ scribes as a "father-daugh‐ ter" relationship while they were working together at the Camp Nathan Smith base in Kandahar.

She says the nature of the relationship changed and cites a number of incidents she said took place on the base, when the man began kissing her on the forehead or rubbing her back. She also alleges he showed her pornography in the presence of an American colleague.

The former interpreter says the defendant offered to help her take advantage of the special immigration pro‐ gram for Afghans who wan‐ ted to come to Canada and invited her to live with him and his family in Ottawa. She said the defendant spoke to her father about bringing her to Canada when they were both still in Afghanistan.

The woman says she ar‐ rived in Canada in October of 2011 and moved into the man's home in November, when she was 17. She alleges the abuse started almost im‐ mediately and continued over the course of two years, often inside the family home. She says it was never consen‐ sual.

The statement of claims says that, even after she moved out of the defendan‐ t's home, the abuse contin‐ ued, accompanied by threats. She says the defendant told her that if she ever reported the abuse to anyone, he would send videos and pic‐ tures of their sexual activity to her father in Afghanistan.

Having been raised under an Afghan honour code that strictly forbids sexual activity before marriage, the woman says she feared she could put her life and the lives of her family members at risk if she spoke out.

She also alleges the de‐ fendant claimed that, be‐ cause of his position in the government, she would not obtain Canadian citizenship and could be deported if she reported him.

Defendant denies inap‐ propriate relationship

In the statement of de‐ fence filed by his lawyers, the defendant admits he knew the plaintiff but says he did not know her age. He says he did allow her to live in his home with his wife and chil‐ dren in 2011.

The defendant denies that "he carried on a sexual, ro‐ mantic or inappropriate rela‐ tionship with the plaintiff." He says he did not inappro‐ priately touch her or or en‐ gage in physical sexual con‐ duct with her, nor did he threaten or attempt to intimi‐ date her. His lawyers say they have no further com‐ ment because the matter is before the courts.

Global Affairs Canada did not respond to requests for comment from CBC News. The federal government claimed in its own statement of defence that "at no time did the interpreter formally or functionally report to …" the defendant.

The government says in its statement of defence that it denies any knowledge of the allegations and did not owe the woman a duty of care "at any material time."

Woman claims she was taken to Montreal and sex‐ ually assaulted

The woman's allegations are specific, graphic and de‐ tailed. Her statement of claim says that, due to her background and lack of sexu‐ al "literacy," she often didn't even understand the nature of what was happening.

She alleges that after she once complained of being hungry to the defendant, he "told her that he would give her food if she made out with him." She says she did not understand this phrase and the man proceeded to forcibly kiss her.

On another occasion, the woman alleges she was taken to Montreal against her will and sexually assaulted in a hotel by the defendant. She says she suffers from depres‐ sion and post traumatic stress and that her ability to work has been affected.

The defendant's state‐ ment of defence says he is still an employee of Global Affairs Canada.