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The Royal Canadian Navy commander publicly apologized for playing golf with former senior soldier and retired general Jonathan Vance, who was investigated by the gendarmerie for alleged misconduct with female subordinates.
On Sunday night, Vice Admiral Craig Baines issued a written statement to all military and defense civil servants, saying he was sorry for his actions.
Baynes confirmed that he played golf in Ottawa on June 2 with Vance and the military’s second in command Lieutenant General Mike Rullo.
Baines wrote: “I fully accept responsibility and accountability because I don’t understand how this publicly expressed support sends the wrong signal that I am committed to leading the solution to our systemic culture and misconduct problems.”
“For this, I sincerely apologize.”
The apology was issued the day after Global News and The Globe and Mail first reported that Lulo, Baynes, and Vance met at the Ottawa Highlands Golf and Country Club, which is aimed at Canadian military personnel and their families.
Baynes said that he will “take a few days off” and Major General Chris Sutherland will temporarily perform his duties during the vacation.
The public statement is the latest in a series of cases involving senior military leaders in a crisis of sexual misconduct in the Canadian armed forces.
CBC News asked Rouleau for comment on Saturday night, but he has not yet responded.
Rouleau and Baine’s decision to play golf with Vance was in the witness testimony of a parliamentary committee investigating sexual misconduct in the army that caused people to raise concerns. Sexist double standardsAccording to testimony, in some cases, senior military leaders were able to continue their careers while junior members were excluded and eliminated.
Support sign
Leah West, a former armored officer, lawyer at the Ministry of Justice, and now a counter-terrorism expert at Carleton University, testified before a parliamentary committee that she was in Afghanistan with a US military about ten years ago.
West tweeted on Sunday that senior leaders who played golf with Vance should understand what it sent to ordinary people during the institutional crisis.
“It needs to be clear that the carefully selected information here is that VAdm publicly supports Vance.”
To be clear, the carefully selected information here is that VAdm publicly supports Vance. https://t.co/2CZEyLZgTz
As the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Chief of Defense Staff, Rouleau has powers over the military’s Provost, who is in charge of the National Bureau of Investigation of the Canadian Forces, which is investigating Vance.
Rouleau has the authority to direct and issue orders to the senior police officer of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Provost.
Recently, the former Supreme Court Justice Morris Fish conducted a landmark review of the military judicial system and recently identified this power as a threat to the independence of the gendarmerie’s investigations.
Fish suggested that before the military provides more protection to victims, cases of sexual assault and misconduct should be transferred to civilians during this period.
Vance denies allegations
Vance had previously told Global News that he denied the allegations against him.
The female of the Vance Sexual Misconduct Case Center, Major Kelly Brennan, delivered Heavy testimony to parliamentary committee In April. In it, she said that Vance considered himself a “untouchable” and that he was the father of her two children but did not support her.
In the second case, Vance allegedly sent a pornographic e-mail to another woman who was a junior non-commissioned officer about nine years ago.
On Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked what the case means to the victims involved and how confident they are that their case will receive due process.
“I know that the Secretary of Defense is following up with the Acting Chief of Staff on this issue,” Trudeau told reporters at the G7 summit in Cornwall, England.
The Office of the Secretary of Defense stated that Harjit Sajjan did not know that the three men were going to play golf until the media asked. His office called the meeting “disturbing and unacceptable” and said it was evaluating what the next step would be.
Several military leaders under investigation
More than six military leaders were involved in the crisis, and some of them are under investigation by the gendarmerie for claiming their actions.
In another case, Major General Peter Davy, the commander of the Canadian Special Forces, apologized and was given paid leave after a CBC News report in April revealed that he had written a letter in support of a soldier convicted of sexual assault. .
Acting Chief of Defense Staff, Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre apologized for Daowei’s handling of the case that split the team.
The government has instructed former Supreme Court Judge Louis Arbor to lead an external review of sexual harassment and misconduct in the military. The Ministry of National Defense also created a new position of “Head of Behavior and Profession”, which is now held by a lieutenant general. Jenny Carinan.
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