General details shared about sexual assault survivor told police

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A Canadian general passed on confidential details about what a sexual assault survivor told police to the same defense organization she accused of trying to cover up the incident, newly released records show.

Kristen Adams, a civilian working for the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS), was sexually assaulted by a NATO soldier while on duty at a canteen operated by Canada for troops in Latvia, military records show Police.

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Adams had gone to military police to complain about the way the investigation into the December 2022 attack was handled. She claimed that the military and the CFMWS tried to sweep the incident under the carpet so as not to embarrass the high-profile mission in Latvia.

What Adams said she didn’t realize was that details of what she believed were confidential conversations with military police were being returned to CFMWS officials.

She only recently discovered that behind the scenes the Canadian Army Brigade. Gen. Scott McKenzie had provided details of her conversations with police to Bruce Plowman, senior vice-president at CFMWS in Ottawa.

“My conversations with police should have been confidential,” Adams said in an interview with the Ottawa Citizen. “Yet here my private information is being discussed with (CFMWS) without my approval or knowledge.”

The records, obtained by Adams using Canada’s Privacy Act, showed that McKenzie wrote a letter to Plowman informing him of what their former civilian employee told police.

“I just wanted to let you know briefly, more as information and/or as a warning, that Ms Adams recently called in the MP Det (Military Police Detachment) in Wainwright to indicate that in her opinion there has never been a proper investigation into her attack is done. has taken place and to demand that a new investigation be launched,” McKenzie wrote on July 12, 2023. “MPs are following it fully and from their perspective an investigation has been completed. I don’t know at this point where this will go.”

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“No action is expected on the part of CFMWS, I just wanted to let you know what we are hearing,” McKenzie added.

McKenzie also warned Plowman that Adams might go to the news media with details of the assault.

Neither McKenzie nor Plowman responded to a request for comment.

The Department of National Defense (DND) did not comment.

The CFMWS, based in Ottawa, provides various programs and services for the military and works on behalf of the Chief of Defense Staff. It operates under the authority of Defense Secretary Bill Blair.

Canadian Military Police reports and documents show that Adams was sexually assaulted on December 3, 2022, when an Albanian soldier grabbed her breast.

Adams said she had tried, with little success, to get help from the CFMWS for counseling and other support. Instead, after filing a formal complaint about the attack, she was told in writing by a CFMWS vice president that she should have realized she would face such dangers if she accepted a job supporting of the Canadian military mission in Latvia.

Shortly after the attack, Adams’ contract was terminated two months early by CFMWS. That decision was made “to ensure that there is no further risk to your health,” according to a Feb. 3, 2023 letter sent to Adams by the organization. CFMWS gave her $11,833, which paid her for the early termination of her contract.

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Details of the attack and how poorly Adams was treated by CFMWS management were first reported in the Ottawa Citizen in October 2023, prompting agency staff to angrily express concerns about the organization’s inability to find a solution. to help a colleague.

That criticism in turn forced Chief Executive Officer Ian Poulter to apologize to all CFMWS staff for the way the incident was handled, although he ruled out Adams.

The records released under the privacy request showed that the apology to Adams, even though it was written down, was never sent because CFMWS officials were concerned that the mea culpa would be reported by the Ottawa Citizen.

Poulter did not respond to requests for comment.

Adams originally wrote to Chief of the Defense Staff General Wayne Eyre and other senior leaders including Brigadier General on February 27, 2023. General McKenzie calls for help.

McKenzie, director of general support for the Canadian Joint Operations Command, later wrote in a March 1, 2023 email to Plowman that “CFMWS has been involved from the beginning and has remained in contact with the member (Adams) through additional financial support and access to existing support programs to an extent beyond contractual standards.”

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But McKenzie’s claim was undermined by other military documents. A document dated February 28, 2023 warned that Adams “appears to be finding it difficult to get support now that she is back home.”

The data obtained by Adams shows that the Canadian Armed Forces were extremely concerned about the reporting of the sexual assault.

Eyre’s chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Brendan Cook told Poulter in an Oct. 25, 2023, email that a top official from the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Center, or SMSRC, wanted to organize a meeting on the Adams issue. The SMSRC would provide support to military and civilian personnel and assist Adams. It operates independently of the military command structure and reports directly to the Deputy Minister at DND.

“Since Ms. Adams will likely be back with more media attention, she (the SMSRC official) probably wants to help you get ahead of the next one,” Cook told Poulter.

But Poulter responded by complaining that the last time SMSRC contacted him they were looking for a financial favor. “If it is indeed urgent I can make the time, but honestly the last time they contacted me they wanted us to use/invest in software to make it more affordable for them,” Poulter wrote.

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Adams described SMSRC’s offer to assist Poulter and the CFMWS as disappointing.

“I thought they were supposed to be independent and help people experiencing sexual violence, but this email clearly shows what is really going on,” Adams said. “After this, I would never trust them (the SMSRC) again.”

Canadian military police told Adams that they had no jurisdiction under NATO rules to investigate, even though the incident took place in a Canadian facility.

The documents also showed that some CFMWS managers disparaged Adams and claimed the attack never happened.

But multiple DND and military documents confirmed that the assault took place.

David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist who covers the Canadian Armed Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive subscriber-only content, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe

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