Boys Will Be Men and Military Cadets Will Become Military Leaders in Canada

"The lack of action and the fact the senior leadership looked the other way sends a message to the perpetrators that they have a free hand to do what they want."

"I tried to do something about it, but the chain of command didn't have my back. These individuals are now officers in the Canadian Forces. The predators, the creeps, they are the ones who won."

"You have a situation where the leadership talks about being serious in dealing with sexual misconduct and issues statements like that. But their actions never support that talk. It is a failure of leadership."

Lt.-Col. Mark Popov, Canadian Armed Forces

RMC Flag  Photo: IAN MACALPINE /Postmedia

"We can confirm that a member was charged with Drunkenness under Section 97 of the National Defence Act in relation to this incident and found guilty."

"The member was sentenced to a fine of $1,000."

"The Royal Military College takes allegations of sexual misconduct seriously, and every complaint is acted upon appropriately and in accordance with applicable Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces policies, including immediate support to any victims."

Dan LeBouthillier, spokesman, Department National Defence

For years it has been acknowledged that the Canadian Armed Forces has a problem with sexual harassment. Years back there was a formal investigation which resulted in corroboration of the seriousness of the endemic sexual misconduct in the forces, and recommendations were made to correct the situation, few of which were considered, fewer yet implemented. Another commission has been appointed to investigate the situation once again. And that has occurred because the situation has become much more serious; the Canadian Armed Forces is rife with sexual intimidation, harassment and violence.

All of which came to the stark notice of the public in the last year when investigations were launched against the-then current head of the Armed Forces, its Chief of Staff who was forced to step down. Even while he was charged with dealing with the problem of sexual misconduct in the military he was himself personally indulging in his own sexual misconduct and had been for many years. A military female under his command brought charges against him, thus the criminal investigation. A new, interim Chief of Defence Staff was put in his place. Then he too was charged with similar offences.

One after another, elite military personnel were revealed to be under investigation on charges of sexual misconduct. Overseeing all of this was the Minister of National Defence. And it was revealed that a military ombudsman had approached the minister with a sexual complaint. The minister was disinclined to take interest, and shied away from being handed evidence. Minister Sajjan publicly assured that he was fully supportive of victims of sexual offences in the military, but repeatedly did nothing to advance an investigation or to take steps to ensure the matter be addressed. 

In a recent cabinet shuffle, Harjit Sajjan was removed from the Cabinet position of Minister of National Defence and instead, is in charge of Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy; irony abounds under the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who repeatedly denied himself having any knowledge of elite military personnel indulging in sexual misconduct although his office which also denies accountability, was notified of these events.

 

Revelations continue to emerge to the light of public scrutiny. Now we are informed that Canada's military leadership-in-training being groomed for their futures at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario distinguished themselves by threatening young girls, members of the Sea Cadets who were visiting the College, with threats of rape. No sexual misconduct charges were ever brought against them. But not because someone in charge of the trainees didn't make an effort to convey to them the seriousness of their errant behaviour.

Lt.-Col. Mark Popov in  his position as director of the cadets apologized to the 17-year-old girls who had been subjected to those sexual threats, then confined the RMC officer cadets to barracks and undertook an effort to discover who the leaders of the verbal sexual assaults were. A month earlier a sexual assault prevention educator was abused verbally by those same officer cadets when she was invited to speak on the issue of sexual misconduct. This occurred in the summer of 2015 when the future leaders of the Canadian military demonstrated their contempt for decency.

They shouted at the girls as they hung out of the windows of their barracks, to threaten them with rape, sodomy and other sexual assaults, threatening to force the girls to perform oral sex on the officer cadets. A man and woman, both officers, attempted to intervene and were told to 'f--- off', according to Canadian Forces documents. Which was when Lt.-Col. Popov became aware of the situation, and determining to put an end to this kind of behaviour. Instead, he was informed to cease and desist by RMC Commandant Brig.-Gen.Sean Friday.

 

 Despite which the 200 officer cadets were assembled by Lt.-Col. Popov for the purpose of a dressing down. In high decibel terms he read out word for word phrases of sexual violence hurled at the girls, and in the process used his own foul language, informing the cadets that those among them who just stood by and made no effort to intervene wee as guilty as the perpetrators. Not one of the cadets produced so much as a gesture of regret. 

This was an event that precipitated a dressing down by Lt.-Col. Popov's superior. Brig.-Gen.Friday was disturbed by the foul language used, informing Lt.-Col.Popov that some cadets had complained to their fathers, senior military officers at DND headquarters. These senior military officers were outraged that their sons were addressed in foul language, not that their sons used foul language in threats against under-aged girls in verbal sexual violence. Thereafter military police informed Lt.-Col. Popov that he was expected to cease his actions of discipline and leave it to investigators to examine the situation.

He could face a charge of interference should he continue, according to military documents. In the event, military police failed to interview the girls and no charges of sexual misconduct or disciplinary action with relation to sexual misconduct were laid against the cadets who emerged unscathed, while their director faced discipline for his efforts. When an annual assessment of performance (review) was issued by Brig.-Gen. Friday several months later, the document stated that Lt.90Col. Popov had demonstrated "performance deficiency", citing foul language in the dressing down of the RMC officer cadets specifically.

 

A graduating class of officer cadets stand in the square at the Royal Military College of Canada during a graduating ceremony in Kingston, Ont., Friday, May 20, 2016. (Lars Hagberg/Canadian Press)

 

Medically discharged from the military, suffering post-traumatic stress caused by the toxic environment he was exposed to, he left the military. His commanding officer, Brig.-Gen. Friday retired after being promoted to major general.

"During my time as Commandant of RMC, we did our utmost to ensure that our future CAF leaders could thrive in a healthy and safe learning environment. I worked with my team to disseminate a comprehensive 'RMC Operation Order --OPHONOUR' that contained specific and detailed orders directing all staff, faculty and students to act with character, courage and compassion in responding to and eradicating all forms of sexual harassment and misconduct."

"This order contained a newly developed [over the first three months of my time as commandant], detailed multi-year action plan for providing a safe, healthy and harassment-free environment for students, staff and faculty and contributing to CAF efforts to achieve permanent improvement in this regard."

Royal Military College Commandant Brig.-Gen. Sean Friday