Canada's office of the defence minister has weighed in on allegations of sexual assault involving a Vancouver Island naval base.
The office of Harjit Sajjan released a statement Wednesday following a story published by CTV Vancouver Island in which a civilian woman alleged she was drugged, brought to CFB Esquimalt and sexually assaulted.
The woman, a waitress from southern Vancouver Island, believes she was slipped a date-rape drug when her memory began to fade during a night out with friends.
She said she only remembers bits and pieces of the next 10 hours, including waking up to a man sexually assaulting here. She told CTV News she does not remember how she ended up at the secure naval base.
She claimed her attackers, the men who allegedly drugged and assaulted her, were members of the Royal Canadian Navy.
The case has sparked an investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, a branch of military police, into the allegations.
Reacting to the story, Sajjan's office released a statement saying inappropriate sexual behaviour will not be tolerated in the military.
"We take all allegations of sexual misconduct very seriously, and through Operation HONOUR, definitive action is being taken to eliminate this kind of behaviour," said press secretary Byrne Furlong. "We will not stop until all our members are able to perform their duties in an environment free from harassment and discrimination."
Operation HONOUR is the military's endeavour to curb inappropriate and harmful sexual behaviour in its ranks.
Officials received 111 reports of sexual assault between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018 – more than double the 47 reports received over the previous year.
The ministry declined to comment on the specifics of the CFB Esquimalt case because CFNIS is still conducting an active investigation.
