LATEST MILITARY MISCONDUCT COCK-UP

Experts are questioning the Canadian Armed Forces‘ (CAF) willingness to tackle sexual misconduct within its ranks after Maj. Gen. Peter Dawe, who wrote a positive reference letter for a sex offender, returned to work and was tasked with working on a number of reviews related to sexual misconduct within the forces.

“I’m honestly at a loss for words. It’s so hard to understand why this individual would be put in this position,” said Megan MacKenzie, who studies military sexual misconduct at B.C.’s Simon Fraser University.

“We have had a minister of defense who’s been absent on this file, who keeps deferring back to the institution. And we have clear signals that this is an institution that can’t handle this problem,” Mackenzie said.

“And so for me, the responsibility lies at the foot of the minister, who has been absolutely unaccountable on this file and has had zero leadership. I think the government on the civilian side needs to say this is a problem that is not being handled well internally.”