"Pages and pages of documents submitted, along with me repeatedly asking for a resolution, and nothing happened." "In the end I was told that the complaint did not meet the criminal threshold," he said. "Officers are supposed to be trustworthy, so I decided to reach out to military police."Īn investigation was launched, but it would take more than two years to reach a conclusion in the matter. His complaint centred on a claim that he was sexually harassed and stalked online by a fellow member of the navy who was also a superior. I was hesitant but he said that I had every right to come forward." "When I told my commanding officer about what happened, he told me to file a report. She added that when changing how complaints are handled, one of the goals must be to "make it more comfortable for the complainant to come forward" so that they are not afraid of "career implications, being called a snitch or being ostracized."ĭespite being afraid to come forward after his alleged assault, the petty officer did make an official complaint in 2019, however it was linked to a different incident. She said that means military leadership must take into account how decisions and policies are going to impact "someone who is thinking about reporting, somebody who has reported, and someone who is too afraid to report." Samplonius said she and others have long advocated for what she calls a "survivor-centric" approach. "There are a lot of people that just don't trust the system because they have reported incidents and had them dismissed." "If you have been sexually assaulted you need to be able to report that and know that something is going to be done about that," she said. I have heard this mistrust time and time again in the course of my review."Īrmy Reserve Officer Sam Samplonius is a survivor of military sexual assault who helps run It's Not Just 20K, a support and advocacy group for victims of sexual misconduct in the armed forces. "Victims mistrust the chain of command and so do not report. In her report, Arbour said complaints of sexual misconduct, which are generally handled by the chain of command, often go unreported. "So with that, I carried a lot of shame with what happened and how it happened." "I didn't want to bring attention to my sexuality," he said. By reporting the alleged assault, he worried he would be discriminated against and that his military career might be impacted. He identifies as gay, and at the time he was not fully open about his sexuality. "I was scared to even report it outside of the medical community, because the individual who I believe did it was more senior than me."įearing reprisal, he decided against filing an official complaint.
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He also said that, instead of military police being informed, he was referred to the base chaplain for support. He would later wake up "on the edges of the base" with "his pants down." Not long after, he said he went to hospital where he was medically assessed by staff. "Like I had one drink and I was completely intoxicated." "There was a drinking place, like a social club or pub, on base and I went there with some of the other people from the course," he said.
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He said during a night out with other military members, he was drugged and raped. The petty officer said his hardship began in 2007, while he was on a routine training course.
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"The victim is on their own to bring attention to the matter and advocate for themselves," he said. "I do not think the Canadian Armed Forces recognizes the traumatic aspect of sexual misconduct."ĬTV News has agreed to shield his identity because he fears retaliation for speaking out about his experiences. "I am living with the trauma," said the man, who is a petty officer, second class. The "women warriors" in the military, as Arbour has called them, are the main targets for sexual assaults and harassment but men too have faced sexual violence, and this member is sharing his story for the first time. Warning: This story contains disturbing detailsĪn active member of the Royal Canadian Navy says he is a military sexual assault survivor who wants meaningful change to come from former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour’s report on sexual misconduct in the armed forces.