Status of Women committee  Thank you.

Status of Women committee  Yes. Unfortunately, the public does not know about that. I am aware of certain things that I will not disclose and that the public does not know. Honestly, some things are more horrible than what I went through. Attackers overseas are even more protected. They are there on the ground with children in Afghanistan or Bosnia, with no one to watch them or report them.

Status of Women committee  It is a little difficult for me to answer that question because I did not go into an operational field. It is difficult to report assaults in the Canadian Armed Forces, even here in Canada. If you are overseas, it's even more difficult. There are additional difficulties to get over because the Army can solve its problems itself without having to inform civilian authorities about them.

Status of Women committee  I didn't receive any assistance specifically for victims of sexual trauma. They agreed to open a file for me, but for a reason that had nothing to do with the assaults. I knew that, if I asked for reasons that did have to do with an assault, no file would be opened for me. Later, I received some help from a psychologist.

Status of Women committee  Having a criminal act dealt with by police outside the Armed Forces would provide greater confidentiality. When you file a complaint in the military, everyone ends up knowing. It goes up the chain of command to the commander at the top, then it comes back down again. All your colleagues are aware, then you are judged, fingers are pointed at you and the unsavoury comments start coming.

Status of Women committee  If those in the military continue to investigate each other, I really have no hope of confidentiality. Moreover, it's not limited to military justice or the military police. I have experienced it in a medical situation too. Confidentiality is often violated. So my only recommendation is for matters to be handled and examined by people who are not in the military.

Status of Women committee  Yes. In Valcartier, even francophones speak English. I don't know why that is the case. Francophones even use English forms. Most Canadians are anglophone. Military personnel are regularly posted to anglophone bases. Francophones in the military constantly speak English and use English terminology, because that allows them to become familiar with working in English and to be more useful.

Status of Women committee  Yes, I would. I don't regret what I did, because it got results. However, I would not go through the process a second time if I was assaulted again. Once in a lifetime is enough. After the first acquittal, I wondered why I had done all that work for nothing. Now I can easily say I would do it.

Status of Women committee  Certainly, everything I did was not perfect. However, nothing comes to mind that I would not do again. Every action I took made sense and served some purpose sooner or later. I was fortunate to have the help and advice of Mr. Drapeau. I was able to make good decisions because of the help from others.

Status of Women committee  I didn't take it as one.

Status of Women committee  I am doing very well now. I am happy with the way things have turned out. The work I have done may help others in the future. I will not have done it in vain.

Status of Women committee  I consider myself very lucky because I received compensation from Veterans Affairs Canada as the result of the labour dispute. I was not able to receive any compensation for the sexual assault because the attacker was acquitted. There is also an out-of-court settlement with the government.

Status of Women committee  The difficulty is that it's like a civilization unto itself, more like a family. We are told when to train and where to train. We can't see our normal doctor; the Army decides which doctor we see. We have to show respect to our superiors at all times, even when passing them outside the workplace.

Status of Women committee  Exactly, peers have no interest in reporting someone if they witness unacceptable behaviour, because they know that they themselves will not be protected if ever they are found guilty of inappropriate behaviour. This is a culture where you help those around you so that they will do the same when you need them.

Status of Women committee  Yes, it was the same for me. One doctor even told me that, as long as I hadn't bought the rope to hang myself or the tube to attach to my car's exhaust pipe, I hadn't suffered anything really serious. Another doctor refused to treat me because it was common knowledge that I had complained to the media about the situation.