Harris calls for inquiry into Afghan sexual abuse allegations

OTTAWA – New Democrat Defence Critic Jack Harris (St. John’s East) is calling for an independent inquiry into the Defence Department’s handling of sex abuse allegations after new evidence emerges contradicting the top brass.

Recently published reports refute the Military’s findings into rape of boys by members of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police.

“The time has come for an independent inquiry,” said Harris. “It is time to know what happened on the ground and what happened to the information brought forward by the witnesses, and what the Minister knew and when.”

In June of 2008, former New Democrat Defence Critic Dawn Black asked the Military Police Complaints Commission to investigate reports of sexual abuse occurring on the Canadian Forces bases.

In May, the Canadian Forces National Investigative Service (NIS) concluded that the allegations could not be substantiated and that there was no evidence that the chain of command had been made aware of these allegations. However, since then new information has emerged to suggest that these claims were false.

“Minister Mackay has some explaining to do,” said Harris during a press conference in Ottawa and stressed the need for political accountability on this matter. “What is perhaps most disturbing is that the chain of command has been aware of these allegations for quite some time and has done nothing about it.”