TIME TO FLATTEN DEFENSE HIERARCHY

Incoming Canadian Army commander under investigation for sexual misconduct

Lt.-Gen. Trevor Cadieu, who was to take command of the Canadian Army, is now under police investigation after allegations were raised about sexual misconduct, this newspaper has confirmed.

Author of the article: David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen

Publishing date: Oct 13, 2021 •

File photo/ Lt.-Gen. Trevor Cadieu, pictured in 2017, is under police investigation, Postmedia has confirmed. 

PHOTO BY ED KAISER /Postmedia

Lt.-Gen. Trevor Cadieu, who was to take command of the Canadian Army, is now under police investigation after allegations were raised about sexual misconduct, this newspaper has confirmed.

Cadieu has denied any wrongdoing.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service has taken a statement from one former military member, a woman, about the allegations against Cadieu, and other statements are in the process of being collected. It is unclear when the investigation will be finished.

“The allegations are false, but they must be investigated thoroughly to expose the truth,” Cadieu told this newspaper. “I believe that all complaints should be investigated professionally, regardless of the rank of the accused. I have already voluntarily provided information to the National Investigative Service, and I continue to await additional opportunities to cooperate fully with their investigation.”

Cadieu said he had provided detailed information and correspondence to investigators, and “I have taken other measures to prove my truthfulness and innocence.”

Cadieu was recently promoted to lieutenant general and slated to take over command of the army. A change of command ceremony that was to have taken place in early September was cancelled at the last minute, shortly after Acting Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre was informed about the CFNIS investigation.

“I know that these false claims will, as intended, create doubts about my ability to lead in this environment,” Cadieu told this newspaper. “While I have devoted every day of my career to making fellow members feel respected and included, Canadian Army soldiers deserve a leader who is unencumbered by allegations and can lead at this important time when culture change, addressing systemic misconduct and preparing tactical teams for operations must remain the priority effort.”

Cadieu said he had asked Eyre to consider selecting another leader for that position as soon as was practical.

National Defence noted in a statement to this newspaper that Eyre was notified on Sept. 5 that the CFNIS investigation had opened an investigation into Cadieu regarding “historical allegations.”

As a result, the change of command ceremony was postponed. “The postponement of the ceremony is not an indictment of LGen Cadieu,” National Defence noted in its statement. “However, in light of the ongoing investigation, a decision was made to allow the justice system to pursue the matter in accordance with the rule of law.”

Over the last 10 months, the Canadian military has been rocked with allegations of sexual misconduct by senior leaders.

Retired chief of the defence staff Gen. Jon Vance faced a number of sexual misconduct allegations and in July was charged with one count of obstruction of justice.

In August, Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin was charged with sexual assault.

Military police are still investigating Vice Admiral Haydn Edmundson after a former member of the navy alleged she was sexually assaulted.

Maj.-Gen. Peter Dawe was put on paid leave in early May after it was revealed he wrote a positive character reference to try to influence the sentencing of an officer convicted of sexual assault.

The senior military leadership quietly brought Dawe back to defence headquarters in September to work on sexual misconduct review files. But defence sources, who questioned the ethics of putting Dawe in such a new role, tipped off this newspaper. The resulting anger from sexual assault victims forced the Canadian Forces to temporarily remove Dawe from his new job and raised new questions about whether the senior leadership was serious about dealing with sexual misconduct.

The Liberal government has not yet decided what to do with Adm. Art McDonald, who is still technically chief of the defence staff, although he only served in that job for a couple of weeks. McDonald temporarily stepped aside Feb. 25 after military police launched an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.

In August, police stated their investigation did not find evidence to support laying charges. Shortly after — in what many observers see as a major public-relations gaffe — McDonald’s lawyers released a statement noting the officer was coming back to his job even as the federal government pointed out it still hadn’t decided his future.

The Liberal government responded by putting McDonald on leave and promoting Eyre to full general. McDonald has claimed that he has the “moral authority” to lead the military.

Eyre has received criticism that he represents the status quo of an organization that has fought against real change when it comes to dealing with sexual misconduct. Military personnel took to social media to challenge Eyre for refusing to punish Dawe as well as for his decision to welcome back Vice Adm. Craig Baines as head of the navy. Baines came under fire after going golfing with Vance in a “public display of support” for the retired general.

Eyre has claimed there is no room for sexual misconduct in the military. But his critics say his reassurances are starting to ring hollow, particularly in the wake of the decision not to discipline any of the navy officers who joked about kinky sex and bondage during an official conference call. An investigation, released in September, confirmed that such comments were made and that they “demonstrated the sexualized culture that the (navy) must continue to confront.” No explanation, however, was provided on the decision not to discipline any of those involved. Earlier this year, though, parliamentary committees investigating sexual misconduct in the military heard about a system where complaints by victims were ignored and the perpetrators were protected.