Mr. Speaker, I encourage MPs to read the Operation Honour manual, understanding that during Operation Honour, there were 581 incidents of sexual assault and 221 cases of sexual harassment reported between April 1, 2016 and March 9, 2021. Trauma for victims of sexual misconduct is individual. Directly after an incident there is a lot of shock.
When a victim knows the alleged offender, there can be guilt and self-doubt. The emotional damage can emerge immediately after or take time to appear and can include anxiety, long-term insomnia, a sense of alienation and thoughts of suicide. While some victims may experience hypervigilance, others may start taking risks and turning to harmful coping strategies.
The trauma of sexual assault can impact victims for a lifetime, affecting their health, education and their careers.