Canada害羞草研究所檚 spy agency has launched a workplace assessment of its British Columbia office over what it calls 害羞草研究所渟erious allegations害羞草研究所� raised by whistleblowers, who say they were sexually assaulted and harassed by a senior officer.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said the officer who was 害羞草研究所渋mplicated害羞草研究所� in the allegations 害羞草研究所� made public in an investigation by The Canadian Press this week 害羞草研究所� was removed from the workplace.

One officer said she was raped nine times in 2019 and 2020 by a senior colleague while in surveillance vehicles, and a second officer said she was later sexually assaulted by the same man despite bosses being warned not to pair him with young women.

A statement from CSIS Director David Vigneault on Friday said accusations of a 害羞草研究所渢oxic workplace害羞草研究所� cannot be taken lightly, and a Workplace Climate Assessment had been launched in the B.C. office.

害羞草研究所淭his will be instrumental in identifying and resolving potential barriers to a safe, healthy and respectful workplace as well as restoring the workplace climate,害羞草研究所� he said.

The statement said that when the agency first heard about the allegations, it launched a third-party investigation 害羞草研究所渨ithout delay.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭he recommendations are currently being actioned,害羞草研究所� Vigneault害羞草研究所檚 statement said.

He said that for too long, a culture existed at the agency that allowed 害羞草研究所渋nappropriate behaviours害羞草研究所� to 害羞草研究所渇ester.害羞草研究所�

Four CSIS officers told The Canadian Press that the B.C. office was a toxic workplace, where senior officers acted abusively towards younger staff including sexual assault, bullying and harassment.

The two officers who said they were sexually assaulted said they were failed by an internal complaints mechanism.

Another one of the whistleblowers said Friday they had been informed on Nov. 24 of the workplace assessment and told it would take place next week.

The Canadian Press first contacted CSIS, describing the officers害羞草研究所� allegations and seeking a response, more than six weeks ago.

Justin Trudeau said this week that the women害羞草研究所檚 allegations of rape and harassment are 害羞草研究所渦nacceptable,害羞草研究所� but the officers who say they were victimized hope the prime minister害羞草研究所檚 words don害羞草研究所檛 ring hollow.

The officer who says she was raped said Friday it was 害羞草研究所済reat害羞草研究所� that the group had Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 attention.

But she pointed to a 2017 lawsuit by officers in Toronto who alleged discriminatory treatment and received a settlement by the government.

害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克鶚Deeds not words.害羞草研究所� I think that this is especially appropriate for this situation,害羞草研究所� said the woman, who is identified as Jane Doe in her own legal action against the government.

Jane Doe害羞草研究所檚 lawsuit in B.C. was dismissed by a judge who said she hadn害羞草研究所檛 exhausted the internal grievance mechanism. She said she plans to appeal.

害羞草研究所淲hile I think it is great that this story has caught the attention of the prime minister, part of me wonders why it took so long.害羞草研究所�

Jane Doe and the other whistleblowers worked in the physical surveillance unit of CSIS害羞草研究所� B.C. office.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 love to believe that things could change and even though my experience is warning me not to get my hopes up, I害羞草研究所檇 love to be proven wrong this time,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淪omeone needs to make a lasting change there, that is supported from the inside. If the 2017 lawsuit wasn害羞草研究所檛 a wake-up call, hopefully this can be.害羞草研究所�

Trudeau called the officers害羞草研究所� allegations 害羞草研究所渄evastating,害羞草研究所� and said everyone should feel protected at work no matter how secretive their duties.

He said Thursday the 害羞草研究所渆ntire government害羞草研究所� was following up 害羞草研究所渧ery directly害羞草研究所� on the issues raised by the whistleblowers, who can害羞草研究所檛 be named because of a law against identifying covert officers.

Another officer who is a colleague and friend of Jane Doe said she hopes going public about their experiences can 害羞草研究所渇orce change害羞草研究所� at CSIS.

She said she hoped others who were victimized now 害羞草研究所渇eel like they can come forward with their stories and be heard.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e had zero support from the internal powers,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 speak for all of us when I say I害羞草研究所檓 very glad we have lit a match and been the whistleblowers on such a dark and disturbing place.害羞草研究所�

The woman says she and her colleagues hope Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 words aren害羞草研究所檛 害羞草研究所渓ip service.害羞草研究所�

The officers who say they were assaulted said they felt they couldn害羞草研究所檛 go to police, in part because they were constrained by the CSIS Act, which makes it illegal to identify covert employees, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

But Vigneault害羞草研究所檚 statement said: 害羞草研究所淓mployees who may have been victims of a crime are encouraged to report it to the police. Further, employment with CSIS does not, and will never prevent employees from reporting a crime to the police.害羞草研究所�

The statement said of The Canadian Press害羞草研究所� investigation that there were 害羞草研究所渁 number of factual inaccuracies that do not align with recorded events, including about CSIS害羞草研究所檚 promptness, its response and its exhaustive investigations.害羞草研究所�

It said the validity of the internal grievance mechanism was 害羞草研究所渧alidated害羞草研究所� by the court ruling against Jane Doe, as well as another unrelated case.

The Toronto-based lawyer in that unrelated case, Otto Phillips, said CSIS officers aren害羞草研究所檛 unionized and are covered by federal labour legislation that makes it hard to deal with workplace issues effectively.

He said the agency is in a 害羞草研究所渨eird害羞草研究所� position because of legislation that sets out internal grievance processes for staff, while disallowing court actions until the internal process is exhausted.

害羞草研究所淚t strikes me that if (CSIS) were to unionize, many of these issues might go away because you害羞草研究所檇 actually have a proper counterbalance to management and in CSIS, that害羞草研究所檚 particularly important given how secretive the organization is,害羞草研究所� Phillips said. 害羞草研究所淭hey basically control all the cards.害羞草研究所�

The employee represented by Phillips has taken their case to the Federal Court of Appeal.

Phillips said reform at CSIS won害羞草研究所檛 come easy.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 going to take a lot of internal soul searching by management at CSIS to try to make the internal process work again and to ensure that the employees trust it,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所�(There needs to be) some internal movement within CSIS to recognize that their own process isn害羞草研究所檛 trusted and it害羞草研究所檚 flawed and it needs to be fixed.害羞草研究所�

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