Crisis centre falls short of recommendations
A new crisis centre whose job is to provide immediate safety for Canadian military personnel who have been sexually assaulted or harassed will only operate during eastern business hours and will be closed on the weekends, according to a Defence document leaked to the Citizen.
The interim Sexual Misconduct Response Centre has the role of providing “assistance for the (military) member’s immediate safety in case of a crisis situation,” according to Sept. 15 message sent to Canadian Forces personnel.
Those calling after 5 p.m. ET are advised to leave a message and are assured they will get a response within one business day.
Sexual assault or harassment victims or witnesses to such incidents can also email the centre, which is open Monday to Friday starting at 7 a.m.
Those phoning would also be provided with “empathetic listening to meet members’ emotional needs,” according to the message sent by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance and Department of National Defence deputy minister John Forster.
The interim centre opened Tuesday.
A permanent centre will be up and running by 2017, according to Vance and Forster.
The creation of such a centre was recommended earlier this year in the scathing report on sexual misconduct in the Canadian Forces prepared by former Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps.
But Deschamps recommended the centre be independent and outside the military. It would be responsible for receiving reports of inappropriate sexual misconduct, as well as overseeing prevention, victim support and research.
Under the military’s plan, the centre comes under the responsibility of deputy minister Forster.
Sources say the Canadian Forces was not keen to allow people outside the “defence community” to provide oversight over such a controversial area. The current plan keeps control of the centre within the defence system, they added.
DND spokeswoman Emilie Faucher stated in an email there are currently 10 full-time employees working at the centre as well as two Canadian Forces members “who are the military advisers for the centre and fulfil the role of military liaison for the organization.”
But Ottawa lawyer Michel Drapeau said the centre isn’t independent.
“You have people who are aligned with the military, you have the military directly involved, all talking to the same senior leaders,” said Drapeau, who represents a number of the military personnel whose sexual assault and harassment cases helped prompt the Deschamps report. “The victims need a place to go to feel safe, where they can be assured their privacy, dignity, and that career will be protected. This isn’t it.”
Faucher noted in the email that the centre’s goal “is to provide a safe environment for members to call so they may be empowered to communicate their needs, regain a sense of control over their situation and make informed decisions.”
“Staff will use a collaborative, client-centered approach with members in an effort to rebuild confidence and trust in institutional resources and processes,” stated the email.
Faucher stated the centre is “centrally located in the National Capital Region. Due to the interim status of the Centre, the location will not be disclosed at this time.”
In May, Defence Minister Jason Kenney promised the creation of an independent body to deal with sexual misconduct. Kenney made the pledge in the House of Commons, after senior military leaders wavered on the idea of an independent centre. Earlier this year, thenchief of the defence staff Gen. Tom Lawson called the idea of an independent centre “unique” and “complex,” and suggested it was something “anyone within the chain of command would at first be concerned with.”