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OTTAWA \u2014 Several of Canada\u2019s top military officers have been accused of sexual harassment, and the former top commander pleaded guilty this year to criminal charges related to accusations that he committed sexual misconduct when leading the nation\u2019s armed forces.<\/p>\n
About a quarter of the women serving in the Canadian military said they had been sexually assaulted during their military careers, according to a government census. And the government has set aside nearly $800 million to settle class action lawsuits by current and former military members involving sexual misconduct.<\/p>\n
The cascade of sexual abuse scandals has shaken confidence in the military in Canada, where on Monday the government is scheduled to release an independent review by a former Supreme Court justice aimed at addressing what critics say is a pervasive and systemic problem that has persisted despite past promises of reform.<\/p>\n
It will be the fourth report to focus on sexual abuse in Canada\u2019s military, where victims say that abuse permeates all levels of the forces and that they are frequently punished for speaking out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The extent of the problem was laid out in a scathing 2015 report, <\/a>which found that Canada\u2019s military had \u201can underlying sexualized culture\u201d that was hostile to women and lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and queer members.<\/p>\n The report to be released on Monday will attempt to put forth lasting solutions. Louise Arbour, a former Canadian Supreme Court justice who was also the United Nations\u2019 high commissioner for human rights, was appointed to conduct the review by the defense minister.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThis report is going to be different,\u201d said Maya Eichler, an associate professor of political and Canadian studies and women\u2019s studies at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to be about whether or not this is a problem. It\u2019s going to have concrete recommendations for what needs to happen to finally, once and for all, address the problem and bring about change.\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from its widespread nature, perhaps the most striking aspect of sexual abuse in Canada\u2019s military is how it reaches into the highest levels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Seven years ago, Jonathan Vance, shortly after taking over as the military\u2019s top commander, unveiled a sweeping program to deal with chronic sexual assault and harassment and pledged to tackle an issue he called \u201ca threat to this institution.\u201d<\/p>\n But not long after retiring, he became ensnared in such a scandal himself. Kellie Brennan, a former army major, said in an interview with Global News, a Canadian broadcaster, that she had a sexual relationship with Mr. Vance over several years, including when she was under his command.<\/p>\n Ms. Brennan later testified before a parliamentary committee that Mr. Vance had fathered two of her children.<\/p>\n In April, Mr. Vance, who had led troops in Canada\u2019s last major combat mission, in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty <\/a>to obstruction of justice after being accused of trying to persuade Ms. Brennan to lie to investigators.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t end there.<\/p>\n