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Canadian Forces worker sexually assaulted at NATO base told she should have realized such risks existed: documents

Published

1 year ago

October 6, 2023

Kristen Adams was honoured for her work at Camp Adazi in Latvia by the Canadian Forces. PHOTO BY PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTEN ADAMS/ /jpg

A civilian worker sexually assaulted by a NATO soldier has been told she should have realized she faced such dangers when accepting a job supporting Canada’s military mission in Latvia, according to documents obtained by this newspaper.

Kristen Adams has been seeking answers from the military’s senior leadership including Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre about the attack she faced while working in the canteen operated by Canada for its troops in Latvia. Canadian military police reports and documents noted Adams was sexually assaulted when an Albanian soldier grabbed her breast during an incident on Dec. 3, 2022.

Adams, who previously worked as a National Defence contract cleaner at Garrison Petawawa, had been employed by the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS), an organization that works on behalf of the defence chief to provide programs and services to military members.

The assault on Adams took place at Camp Adazi near the Latvian capital of Riga.

But in a May 10, 2023 letter, the CFMWS told Adams she should have realized she could have faced such an incident when she signed on for the job.

“As you were made aware during pre-deployment training, which occurred from 6 to 15 September 2022, there are risks involved in deploying into a theatre of operations where numerous countries work and live together and of the cultural differences that exist as a result,” wrote Ben Ouellette, vice president of CFMWS’ personnel support programs group. “In accepting to deploy, you are taking on a certain risk of working in this environment.”

Ouellette declined to be interviewed by this newspaper.

Adams said she was disgusted by the response. “Since when is sexual assault considered to be part of cultural differences or part of a job description?” she said. “He is placing the blame on me by claiming I should have known I could be sexually assaulted at my place of employment.”

Adams believes the Canadian military and the CFMWS are trying to sweep the incident under the rug. “They don’t want anything to cause embarrassment for the Latvia mission,” she said. “It’s all about protecting the mission.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in July that as part of a major commitment to NATO, Canada would spend another $2.6 billion to double the number of troops it has stationed in Latvia. Canada currently has roughly 1,000 military personnel in that country.

The Canadian facility where the assault took place is open to NATO troops at Camp Adazi.

Adams reported the incident to Canadian military police at the camp shortly after it happened. Adams told this newspaper she was working at the canteen known as the Commons when she saw an Albanian soldier, whom she knew. The two greeted each other but then the Albanian grabbed her left breast, telling Adams, “Oh, you are very strong.”

Canadian military police told Adams that, under NATO rules, they had no jurisdiction to investigate even though the incident took place at a Canadian facility.

Latvian military police were brought in to examine the case but Adams pointed out they did not interview any witnesses. The interviews conducted were only with her and the Albanian soldier, she added.

On Dec. 14, Latvian military police decided they would not investigate further. “No details were given as to why the investigation has concluded,” Canadian military police documents noted.

However, Canadian military police did create a “shadow file” on Jan. 3, 2023 with the details of the incident. (A shadow file is a Canadian Forces document about an issue the military has an interest in but not direct control over.) Those details and that report do not dispute Adams’ version of events. “On 3 Dec 2022, the victim was working as a civilian employee when a military member from another nation touched them inappropriately and without their consent,” the shadow file report added.

Adams was told, according to the Canadian military documents, that she wasn’t allowed to see any investigative records and would have to file an Access to Information request to obtain such material. Adams filed that request and received heavily censored documents.

Shortly after the assault, Adams’ contract was ended two months early by CFMWS. That decision was made “in order to ensure there is no further risk to your health,” according to a Feb. 3 letter sent to Adams by the organization. CFMWS gave her $11,833, which paid her out for the early termination of her contract.

In response to Adams’ formal complaint to CFMWS in May, Ouellette wrote the former employee that the organization has “gone above and beyond in its efforts to support you and we encourage you to use the tools and resources at your disposal to your benefit as you work through this matter. We have addressed your concerns on numerous occasions.”

“As such, we will no longer entertain further complaints or correspondence from you regarding this issue,” Ouellette added in his May 10 response.

While Canadian Forces documents refer to Adams as a victim of a sexual assault, the various correspondence Adams received from CFMWS does not use that term. Instead, the CFMWS correspondence includes terms such as ”formal complaint about inappropriate touching”, “your situation” and “the incident”.

National Defence noted in a statement to this newspaper that Adams has received support from the CFMWS and has been referred to the Canadian Armed Forces’ Sexual Misconduct Response Centre for additional support. “CFMWS takes its responsibilities towards its employees very seriously and is working with the CAF and NATO partners to ensure any investigation is supported,” the National Defence statement noted.

The Latvian Armed Forces responded to this newspaper in an email statement, stating an investigation was conducted into the incident but added there was “no discernible wrongdoing that could be properly classified and interpreted as sexual harassment.”

An additional review was also done and it “concluded that there were no indications of a criminal offence,” according to the Latvian Armed Forces.

But a separate Latvian report obtained by Adams through the Access to Information law doesn’t dispute that the NATO soldier grabbed her breast. But it explained that “it does not follow that the mentioned actions were carried out with a certain intention or purpose, or were they followed by comments of an offensive, humiliating or sexual nature.”

However, in its response, the Latvian military also claimed mistakenly that Adams was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

“They never conducted a real investigation,” said Adams. “They didn’t even spell my name right in their report and they think I’m in the Canadian military. Their whole response has been a joke.”

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Allen nets shutout as Devils burn Oilers 3-0

Published

2 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.

The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.

Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.

TAKEAWAYS

Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.

Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.

KEY MOMENT

New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.

KEY RETURN?

Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.

OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN

The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.

The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

UP NEXT

Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.

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Mahomes throws 3 TD passes, unbeaten Chiefs beat Buccaneers 30-24 in OT

Published

2 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.

Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.

Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.

Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.

It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.

The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.

Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.

Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.

The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”

Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.

The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.

Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.

UP NEXT

Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Chiefs: Host the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

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AP NFL:

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NHL roundup: Kuemper helps visiting Kings shut out Predators 3-0

Published

2 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves for his first shutout of the season and 32nd overall, helping the Los Angeles Kings beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Monday night.

Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala also scored. The Kings have won two of their last three.

Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators. They are 1-2-1 in their last four.

Kopitar opened the scoring with 6:36 remaining in the opening period. Saros denied the Kings captain’s first shot, but Kopitar collected the rebound below the goal line and banked it off the netminder’s skate.

Fiala, a former Predator, made it 2-0 35 seconds into the third.

The Kings held Nashville to just three third-period shots on goal, the first coming with 3:55 remaining and Saros pulled for an extra attacker.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Monday:

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DEVILS 3 OILERS 0

EDMONTON, Alta. (AP) — Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his NHL career, helping the New Jersey Devils close their western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored. The Devils improved to 8-5-2. They have won three of their last four after a four-game skid.

Calvin Pickard made 13 saves for Edmonton. The Oilers had won two straight.

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