'There's no justice,' says complainant as RCMP officer retires before misconduct hearing
CBC
A high-ranking RCMP officer has decided to retire rather than appear before a disciplinary hearing over a case of sexual misconduct involving a colleague, according to information obtained by Radio-Canada.
The staff sergeant was twice the age of the complainant, in her 20s at the time of the alleged events, which included flirtatious text messages and brief sexual encounters in 2022 and 2023.
By convening him to a conduct hearing last year, the RCMP was looking to formally dismiss the experienced police officer over an inappropriate relationship involving a power imbalance.
By retiring, the staff sergeant will avoid a disciplinary hearing that, if it had gone ahead, would have been disclosed within the organization and made public on the RCMP's website.
According to data obtained by Radio-Canada, 74 RCMP employees decided to retire after being called to appear before a conduct hearing between 2020 and 2024. These employees get to keep their pension, although the matter is noted on their human-resources file and can be shared with future employers as part of reference checks.
The woman who filed a complaint against the staff sergeant is disappointed with the outcome. She works for the RCMP as part of a federal part-time employment program for university students.
"There's no justice being made or done for [complainants] and their case is just swept under the rug because we're protecting officers who are doing bad things," she said in an interview.
To protect the identity of the complainant, Radio-Canada has decided not to reveal certain details about her or her former RCMP colleague.
The RCMP has long grappled with issues related to sexual harassment. In 2016, then commissioner Bob Paulson apologized to hundreds of victims of sexual harassment. The RCMP concluded its $125-million class-action settlement over harassment, discrimination and sexual abuse claims with more more than 2,300 people in 2020.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said sanctions have recently been toughened for some inappropriate behaviour, including relationships involving a superior in a position of authority.
"Anything to do with sexual assault, sexual harassment, inappropriate relationship within the organization or outside, it's not tolerated," he said in an interview. "The people who are abusive or don't respect the code of conduct, or more importantly the organization's ethics, I don't want them in the organization."
Duheme praised those who denounce unacceptable behaviour within the force, adding he hopes none will suffer backlash.
"I salute the courage of people who are coming forward," he said. "As the leader of the organization, I want to make sure that this person has all the support that they need to make sure that they are accompanied throughout this, because it's not an easy task."
The woman was in her early 20s, while the staff sergeant was in his 40s, when they met in the gym at an RCMP building in 2022.
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