Ottawa -
Defence Minister Anita Anand is standing by defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre's choice to maintain Canada's high army police officer in his job for one more two years.
The extension was introduced late Tuesday, the identical day that a complaints fee requested Provost Marshal Brig.-Gen. Simon Trudeau to apologize to 2 army cadets.
The apologies associated to critical issues with the dealing with of a case of alleged sexual misconduct and an tried suicide on the Royal Navy School in Kingston, Ont.
Whereas the Navy Police Complaints Fee says Trudeau did difficulty apology letters to the 2 cadets, the incident follows quite a few questions in regards to the conduct and requirements of army police.
Anand instructed reporters at a defence convention on Wednesday that she nonetheless has confidence in Eyre's choice to increase Trudeau in his place for one more two years.
"I've confidence in Basic Eyre and his appointments, and we'll proceed to work very arduous to make sure the very best requirements of integrity within the Canadian Armed Forces," Anand mentioned when requested if she has confidence in Trudeau.
The army on Tuesday introduced Trudeau was being prolonged to supervise reforms of the army police and justice system in response to a number of current evaluations and reviews, together with one this week from retired Supreme Court docket justice Louise Arbour.
Arbour's scathing report included dozens of suggestions to deal with sexual misconduct within the ranks, together with completely transferring the investigation and prosecution of sexual instances of a felony nature from army to civilian authorities.
"You will need to proceed to make sure the switch of instances from the army justice system to the civilian justice system," Anand mentioned about Trudeau's extension.
"It will be important for us to recollect to work arduous on the values which are so essential, and that is what we'll do on daily basis with that (Trudeau) and everybody within the Canadian Armed Forces in management positions."
One in every of Arbour's different suggestions is to rethink the necessity for devoted army faculties akin to RMC and its French equal in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., which some see as a breeding floor for sexualized attitudes within the Forces.
The Navy Police Complaints Fee on Tuesday revealed that it had requested Trudeau to apologize to 2 cadets after an investigation discovered army police had severely botched a case in 2019.
The investigation specifically discovered that army police didn't conduct a correct investigation after a feminine officer cadet on the Royal Navy School reported a fellow pupil was harassing her and had dedicated sexual offences in opposition to her.
Navy police had been additionally discovered to have executed little to answer the feminine cadet's security considerations, or her considerations that the opposite pupil was affected by psychological well being points.
The male pupil additionally tried to kill himself on two separate events after army police instructed him he would "in all probability" face felony expenses, the fee mentioned. Finally, no expenses had been laid within the case.
Trudeau discovered himself defending the independence and professionalism of his investigators on a number of events final 12 months as members of a parliamentary committee grilled him over how they cope with instances of sexual misconduct.
These questions coincided with allegations of sexual misconduct in opposition to a number of senior army officers, together with the previous chief of the defence workers, basic Jonathan Vance, and his successor, admiral Artwork McDonald.
Vance ultimately pleaded responsible to at least one depend of obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 80 hours of group service. McDonald was not charged.
Trudeau's extension was one among dozens of recent appointments introduced Tuesday together with the retirement of almost 30 senior army officers.
Amongst these retiring are Vice-Admiral Haydn Edmundson, who was charged with sexual assault and indecent acts final 12 months. He'll retire forward of a trial scheduled for August 2023.
Tuesday's announcement additionally confirmed the retirement of Lt.-Gen. Trevor Cadieu, who hung up his uniform in April whereas being investigated for alleged sexual misconduct earlier than heading to Ukraine.
Anand wouldn't touch upon whether or not she was briefed about Cadieu's retirement and journey to Ukraine to help the nation's defence in opposition to Russia's invasion.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed June 1, 2022.
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