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During her yearlong investigation, Deschamps interviewed hundreds of full-and part-time military personnel, as well as commanding officers, military police, chaplains, nurses and social workers.

The interviews pointed to what she described as a “hostile sexualized environment” in the military, particularly among recruits and the junior ranks. “At the most extreme, these reports of sexual violence highlighted the use of sex to enforce power relationships,” noted Deschamps’ report, “and to punish and ostracize a member of a unit.”

The military’s leadership came under particularly harsh criticism. Deschamps found military personnel “became inured to this sexualized culture as they move up the ranks,” with officers turning a blind eye to inappropriate conduct and senior non-commissioned officers “imposing a culture where no one speaks up.”

“Underlying all these concerns is a deep mistrust that the chain of command will take such complaints seriously,” her report noted.

There have also been concerns about how serious some in the military took the issue of sexual abuse. The previous Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Tom Lawson, who has since retired, came under fire for his claim that sexual harassment was still an issue in the Canadian Forces because people were “biologically wired in a certain way.”

His comment during a TV interview in June 2015 sparked widespread outrage and Lawson apologized.

The Royal Military College was also in the headlines after it emerged that a guest speaker on sexual misconduct was herself belittled and harassed as she tried to conduct a seminar. The general in charge of the college eventually apologized for what was acknowledged as “unprofessional behaviour.”

At the August press conference, Vance said he understood there were those who are skeptical of ongoing efforts to stop sexual misconduct in military. But he noted the situation was improving. “We’ve made a good start,” Vance said.

He said at that time that six individuals had been convicted of offences related to sexual misconduct and another 24 subjected to severe administrative action in the first eight months of 2016.

• Email: dpugliese@postmedia.com | Twitter: @davidpugliese