OTTAWA—Two members of Canada’s military alleged that they were sexually harassed by passengers during a troubled VIP trip last December to visit Canadian troops overseas, the Star has learned.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs player Dave “Tiger” Williams was charged earlier this year with sexual assault and assault in the wake of that tour.

But an internal military report reveals there were in fact two complaints of inappropriate behaviour during the trip.

“Two members of 437 Sqn alleged that they were sexually harassed and touched by passengers on an airborne service flight,” reads the significant incident report (SIR), released under the Access to Information Act.

The report, dated Dec. 6, 2017, said that the squadron commander was ordering an investigation and cautioned that there would “high potential media interest.”

The so-called Team Canada trips bring high profile athletes, comedians, musicians and business people to visit with Canadian troops deployed overseas to help boost morale.

But the December trip turned into a debacle with reports that some passengers were drunk even before they left Ottawa, questionable behaviour — two passengers urinated themselves onboard the plane — and complaints that military flight attendants felt powerless to curb drinking or rowdy behaviour.

Video taken by one of the passengers shows a band playing Doobie Brothers tunes, complete with sound speakers on stands set up in the aircraft cabin. Mood lighting changed from green to red to purple as passengers danced in the aisles and among the seats, many with a glass or can in their hand.

Williams was charged as a result of alleged incidents as the tour travelled overseas on its initial leg to Athens, Greece from Ottawa on Dec. 2 onboard the military Airbus jet.

The incident report obtained by the Star says the alleged misbehaviour happened between Dec. 2 and Dec. 4, suggesting that there may have been misconduct on a subsequent flight between Greece and Latvia. The report provided no additional details.

Maj. Jean-Marc Mercier, a senior public affairs officer with Canadian Forces Provost Marshal, told the Star that Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) — the branch of the military police that handles serious and sensitive matters — was made aware of the incident report “very early.”

“Although the SIR referred to multiple assaults with more than one victim, the investigation by the CFNIS resulted in identifying one complainant for charges under Criminal Code,” Mercier said in an email.

He said the charges relate to alleged incidents involving one victim. He said the significant incident report is part of the evidence presented to the court.

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“CFNIS takes all allegations of assault seriously and will investigate the allegations to determine the facts, analyze the evidence and, if warranted, lay the appropriate charges,” Mercier said.

In the wake of the troubled trip, the military has suspended its morale tours and said that when they do resume, alcohol will be banned on the flights. As well, Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, has ordered a new independent investigation into the events around December’s trip.

Lt.-Gen. Alain Parent, the vice-chief of defence staff, and Chief Warrant Officer Kevin West, the most senior non-commissioned member of the Canadian Armed Forces, were on the tour. The military has said that neither was aware of the alleged misconduct until it was formally reported days later.