Thread by @Happyjustice4

1. Is it just me who finds it troubling the CPC want a woman to face consequences over sexual abuse in the military?

Yet again, this issue has been weaponizing for political purposes. The true aim is not just to take down this govt, but also to retain the status quo. #cdnpoli

2. Sexual abuse is not resolved w laws, policies or even an external complaints process (tho one should have been implemented earlier). All of these systems are rooted in the same notion of marginalizing women. Rape used to be a crime against the husband or father of the victim.

3. These systems still make women responsible. Women have to report or he will do it again. Women have to testify or he will get away w it. Women have to recount what happened to them over and over again, to doctors, police and in court. That is doing the “right” thing.

4. At least twice in the last few years, women have been hounded (and outed) by media and/or political opportunists to publicly discuss their allegations, despite the fact that both women clearly indicated they did not want to do so.

Where is her choice in this?

5. The problem w all our systems, justice, workplace, military etc, is their foundation. None of these systems were built to accomodate the unique nature of sexual abuse. Our criminal system, for example, treats victims as mere witnesses, there to answer the questions asked.

6. The only way for justice to be served is to do it this way. You can’t have someone convicted and condemned over an anonymous email. You just can’t. Reaching out to see if she wants the complaint investigated was the respectful thing to do. Honouring her refusal was too.

7. And yet, it is not justice to the victim. Like almost every woman (possibly every), I have been subjected to harassment and abuse of a sexual nature. I have used the systems available to me and I have been hurt by those systems.

8. More to the point, these systems offer no real resolution. Maybe he is convicted, maybe he is fired. Maybe he is not. Either way, it happened and too many people will identify w him instead of the victim. That is a societal problem, not a systems problem.

9. Which brings me back to the start. I watch w increasing distress the politicization of this issue. This is a seriously difficult thing for any govt to take on. It was never going to be easy. It was always going to get ugly. It is only an issue because this govt made it one.

10. Trying to make this about Katie Telford is so appallingly appalling. Attack the woman who is leading the charge of gender equality in this govt because she did the only thing she could? The system is what it is.