Nearly 19,000 misconduct claims filed

Nearly 19,000 Canadian Armed Forces and Department of Defence personnel have submitted claims in the settlement of class-action lawsuits against the federal government over sexual misconduct in the military.

At Wednesday’s deadline, 18,796 claims had been filed by current and former CAF and DND staff.

Of those, 5,055 have already been approved for an initial payment or have been paid.

Approximately 57 per cent of the claimants are female, 42 per cent are male, and one per cent identify as other.

Nearly 33 per cent of all claims were submitted this month alone.

The Armed Forces have been rocked by a sexual misconduct crisis this year, with current and former senior leaders under investigation or facing charges.

Newly appointed Defence Minister Anita Anand has said dealing with the crisis is her top priority.

The settlement provides for compensation up to $155,000, changes to military and veterans affairs policies, and the option for sexual misconduct survivors to participate in restorative engagement, during which they can share their experiences with senior officials.