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Earlier this year, the Canadian military reported that more than 500 cases had taken place since 2015.
Canadian officials have apologized for failing to take action to stop the government from cracking down on military violence.
Newly elected Minister of Defense Anita Anand said on Monday that many uniformed people were raped or discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or sexual orientation.
“We have to acknowledge the pain and suffering that many have endured because the agency responsible for protecting and defending our country has not always protected and defended its members,” Anand told a news conference.
“I apologize to you on behalf of the Canadian government … This misconduct and abuse of power led to a crisis of confidence in the security forces.”
The apology was part of a series of lawsuits filed against the government by about 19,000 working and retired people, as well as security personnel.
This comes after a number of officials were asked about sexual harassment, including former Chief of Defense Staff Jonathan Vance, who was charged with obstruction of justice during the investigation.
The new Defense Staff Commander, General Wayne Eyre, said Monday that among the military, “trust could mean the difference between life and death – and we gave that belief”.
Women soldiers complained that the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a self-proclaimed feminist, had not done enough to address the issue raised in a well-known 2015 report.
Canada has instructed the former International Criminal Tribunal’s legal representative, Louise Arbor, to help clean up the military.
Anand last month endorsed Arbor’s proposal that investigations and prosecution of sexual harassment in the military be handed over to government officials for “excessive distrust of military security”.
In April, the military announced in Parliament that 581 violent and 221 violent crimes had been committed since 2015.
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