An Oct. 5 report of sexual assault at CFB Esquimalt is currently under investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.
Major Jean-Marc Mercier, the public affairs officer to the Provost Marshall of Canadian Military Police, confirmed there is an investigation underway into an allegation of an Oct. 5 incident. He said he could not share any more information about the allegations while the investigation is ongoing.
B次元官网网址淥nce the investigation is over, if the findings B次元官网网址� supported by factual evidence B次元官网网址� are that there was a wrongdoing, then the CFNIS will lay charges,B次元官网网址� he said.
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Details about a reported sexual assault will only be released by the military police to the public if charges are being laid. If there isnB次元官网网址檛 enough evidence to go to court or a report cannot be proven, information will not be released to maintain privacy.
B次元官网网址淲e may communicate that the investigation is over and done, but there wonB次元官网网址檛 be any further information as to who were the ones that were allegedly being the bad guys here because they have rights too,B次元官网网址� he said.
Alleged victims, he said, may waive their right to privacy, but the military police are bound by law not to.
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He said the military police could not reveal how many investigations are ongoing at the base level, such as CFB Esquimalt, but that they keep track of that information at a national level.
B次元官网网址淭here are some bases that are so small that by giving out the number would actually be potentially revealing information on the identity of [victims and perpetrators],B次元官网网址� Mercier said. B次元官网网址淢aintaining some level of discretion is helpful to the value of the investigation.B次元官网网址�
The latest available statistics from the Canadian Armed Forces about military police investigations is from 2016. It shows across the country there were investigations into 175 B次元官网网址渓evel 1B次元官网网址� sexual assaults, no B次元官网网址渓evel 2 (weapon or bodily harm)B次元官网网址� sexual assault investigations and one B次元官网网址渓evel 3 (aggravated)B次元官网网址� sexual assault investigation. In 2016, there were 13 investigations into sexual violations against children.
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