CBC News mentioned that since September last year, military police and civilian law enforcement have examined up to 70 cases of alleged hostile conduct and racial views within the Canadian army.
According to a report prepared for the army’s acting leader last winter and obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, 115 cases had been listed up to that point, with 57 of them being probed by military authorities.
There are now 28 allegations, according to figures updated to the end of August and supplied to CBC News. Thirteen of them were deemed significant enough to warrant further investigation by the police. After a succession of high-profile incidents and investigations, Gen. Wayne Eyre, the previous senior army commander and current acting head of the defence staff, launched a sweeping crackdown.
He issued a 25-page guideline requiring soldiers to report bigotry and hateful behaviour to their superiors if they observe or even get knowledge of it. If they don’t, there might be major consequences, according to Eyre, who says they’ll “hold our members accountable for their behaviour.”
After Eyre released his order, most of the hostile conduct incidents in the army assessment were submitted early this year and in the second half of 2020. The statistical review spans the years of 2019 and beyond. However, some of the actual instances date back to 1997.
Eight of the first 115 cases contain a “possible link with a hate group,” which is important. Number of the newer batch that falls into that category is unknown. The vast majority of the incidents (88%) included non-commissioned officers and junior personnel, such as master corporals and sergeants.
Source: CBC News
