The top ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces are “incapable” of recognizing the “deficient” parts of a culture that keep sexual misconduct and abuse of power entrenched, according to a blistering new report.
That highly anticipated report into the culture of the Canadian Forces from former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louise Arbour was released on Monday, exactly one year after the review formally began in May 2021.
Global News first brought to light allegations in February 2021 of sexual misconduct against senior leaders in the Canadian Forces — the first of dozens of exclusive reports into such allegations and the military’s handling of them over the past 18 months.
Those revelations and the courage of survivors and victims who spoke out spurred a political and societal reckoning that remains underway. Read more: TIMELINE — The Canadian Forces sexual misconduct crisis In her 403-page report, Arbour describes an institution that is fundamentally out of sync with the values of Canadian society, and which poses a “liability” to the country. “Firmly entrenched in its historical way of life, the military has failed to keep pace with the values and expectations of a pluralistic Canadian society, increasingly sophisticated about the imperative of the rule of law,” Arbour wrote. “Operating as a totally self-regulated, self-administered organization, entirely reliant on deference to authority, it has failed to align with the ever-changing, progressive society we live in.