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IN THE NEWS
September 23, 2022
Military to decide whether members accused of crimes can wear uniforms in civilian courts
Ashley Burke · CBC News
Several military sexual trauma advocates have said that the act of wearing the full uniform to court while on trial for sexual assault is a power play that intimidates complainants and triggers victims.
Retired major Donna Riguidel said she wants the military to ban its members from wearing their uniforms in court while on trial — or to at least advise against it.
"At best, it's tone-deaf," said Riguidel, the director of Survivor Perspectives Consulting Group. "At worst it's intimidation and bullying … and it will have a silencing effect on survivors."
Riguidel has been hired by the military to conduct training sessions to improve how military members respond to sexual misconduct disclosures.
She said the uniform is a powerful symbol of the institution and wearing it could make a complainant feel like they're facing off against the entire Canadian Armed Forces.
"It's unacceptable in an organization that's trying to become more trauma-informed and trying to focus on changing the culture to allow things like this to happen at his rank, at this leadership level," said Riguidel.
Read the full story here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/debate-uniform-military-court-sexual-assaul-trials-1.6593556?fbclid=IwAR3070X28LBkOjbH-QpE6f8eiYiPJhhM6DFlRuhCu-z3tkSzxojJPo9t8v0
May 31, 2022
The Current with Matt Galloway: Survivors want action, not words, after report into sexual misconduct in military
Former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour released her final report on sexual misconduct in the military on Monday. Matt Galloway discusses its recommendations with Donna Riguidel and Dawn McIlmoyle, two former armed services members and survivors of sexual assault.
May 31, 2022
Retired Major Donna Riguidel speaks with the BBC on Military Sexual Misconduct following the release of the Arbour Report on Military Sexual Misconduct.
The Report of the Independent External Comprehensive Review of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces by The Honourable Louise Arbour, C.C., G.O.Q. was released May 30, 2022. Retired Major Donna Riguidel speaks to the BBC in regards to one of the key points of the report being that the Canadian Armed Forces should no longer retain any jurisdiction over Military Sexual Offences.
Media Credit: BBC NewsDay https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w172yf8j5t2kcxj
April 20, 2021
House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women Inquiry on Sexual Misconduct within the Canadian Armed Forces - MJ Batek Representative of Survivor Perspectives Consulting Group
MJ Batek spoke to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women on behalf of the Survivor Perspectives Consulting Group to introduce our group and discuss what we can do to help alleviate the current crisis in the Canadian Armed Forces. She also spoke on the importance of understanding that a sexualized military culture also affects many others including civilians and can lead to Military Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and Civilian Sexual Assault.
April 15, 2021
Operation Tango Romeo Podcast with Major Donna Riguidel on Military Sexual Trauma
March 17, 2021
630 CHED Radio Interview with J'Lyn Nye and Major Donna Riguidel
Major Donna Riguidel introduces Survivor Perspectives Consulting Group as a solution to create change within the Canadian Armed Forces.
March 17, 2021
CBC Interview with Suhana Meharchand and Major Donna Riguidel
Major Donna Riguidel is the founder of the Western Canadian branch of Operation Honour, the Canadian Forces' mission to prevent and address sexual misconduct in its ranks. She says the military has been 'spinning its wheels' on the issue for too long. Major Riguidel introduces Survivor Perspectives Consulting Group as a solution to create change within the Canadian Armed Forces.