Sexual Misconduct Response Centre Releases Its Second Annual Report

October 3, 2018

OTTAWA – The Sexual Misconduct Response Centre (SMRC) today released its Annual Report 2017-2018.  This second annual report summarizes the SMRC’s increased activities and services that are designed to provide improved victim support, and to continue the culture change required to make the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) the more respectful and inclusive workplace Canadians expect.

Among highlights, the SMRC:

• Provided services to almost 400 individuals.
• Increased the availability of its services to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The expansion to 24/7 allows military members to access support services both in Canada and abroad at all times.
• Initiated work on a number of initiatives to enhance service delivery to better meet the needs of specialized groups, such as members of the LGBTQ2 community, males, visible minorities, and Indigenous members.  The Centre is also working on initiatives to enhance support to deployed members.

About the SMRC

The SMRC was established within the Department of National Defence (DND) in September 2015 in response to recommendations by an External Review into Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). 

The SMRC is led by an Executive Director who reports directly to the Deputy Minister. Although independent of the CAF chain of command, the Centre is responsive to CAF needs and supports the Department’s priority on well-supported, diverse, resilient people and families in Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy.

The SMRC’s core activity is providing supportive counselling to CAF members. The Centre applies several principles of excellence in service delivery such as: trained counsellors to assist CAF members, immediate response 24/7, and convenient worldwide access by telephone.

For further information and support, the Centre can provide facilitated access to a Military Police Liaison Officer who provides information on investigative processes, military and civilian justice, and other investigative and complaint mechanisms.

-30-