Thank you so much, each of you, for taking the time to be here and to share some of your personal reflections as well, based on your interactions with others.
Ms. Gagnon, I received an email from an individual who experienced sexual assault over a number of years during her tenure in the CAF. She served as a medical technician for 22 years. During her time she experienced horrific things. One of her statements caught me. I would like your reflections on it.
She said that, based on her reflections and going through court proceedings—she took it all the way through—at the end of the day the individual who had assaulted her multiple times over the course of years, pleaded guilty and was given a $1,000 fine, essentially a slap on the wrist.
She said, “it breaks down any trust in men and your trust that the CAF will protect you as a soldier in combat or a women while in garrison. There is no safe place for victims. Victims are treated horribly once they come forward!”
Would her story align with the other stories you're hearing from the women you engage with on social media platforms and throughout the last number of years that you've been engaged in being an advocate?