A former Canadian general, who is currently in Ukraine fighting the Russian forces, has been charged with sexual assault back home.
Retired lieutenant general Trevor Cadieu has been charged with two counts of sexual assault related to an incident in 1994.
The senior Canadian military leadership approved Gen Cadieu’s request to retire from the military as of 5 April. He was facing allegations of sexual assault and has been under investigation by military police since September.
Soon after, he travelled to Ukraine and volunteered to fight for the Ukrainian military.
On Wednesday, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal’s office announced the charges against Mr Cadieu.
Mr Cadieu has been accused of raping an 18-year-old student at the Royal Military College in 1994. At the time of the alleged incident, he was a senior cadet at the college and the woman had just started her education there.
In an email statement to Canadian newspaper Ottawa Citizen, Mr Cadieu admitted that he had been informed of the charges. “I am making arrangements to return to Canada from Ukraine, and I will continue to cooperate with this process, as I have from the start.”
The newspaper reported that in his earlier statement, the former general had refuted the allegations against him and called them false.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal said the matter “will now proceed through the civilian justice system” and refused to divulge further information at this time.
Mr Cadieu has received support from Canadian Forces staff and retired military personnel during the investigation, according to local reports.
The complainant, on the other hand, has faced increasing questions on social media about her mental state and her alleged motives.
In earlier interviews, the woman had called the process an “institutional betrayal” from the Canadian Forces.
