[溫哥華本地新聞] Prominent Mountie claiming sexual abuse on the force 2011, sick, officers, several, senior

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Prominent Mountie claiming sexual abuse on the force
Four years on sick leave for Catherine Galliford
News1130/Canadian Press Nov 07, 2011 21:29:47 PM
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VANCOUVER(NEWS1130)- A prominent BC Mountie has filed an internal complaint with the RCMP alleging years of sexual harassment as well as misconduct inside the force.

Constable Catherine Galliford, who served as a spokeswoman for the BC RCMP, claims she suffered sexual advances from several senior officers as soon as she graduated from the RCMP Academy in 1991.

In the 115-page complaint that she shared with CBC News, Galliford is claiming a supervisor on the Missing Women's Task Force exposed himself to her.

She also alleges that another supervisor on the Air India Task Force kept taking her on unnecessary business trips with the intention of trying to have sex with her.

Galliford claims that after 16 years of service, she ``completely broke'' and in 2007 went off duty on sick leave.

During the four years she's been out of the job, she says she's turned to drinking and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia and chemical dependency.

Galliford says she plans to file a lawsuit against the RCMP.

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The RCMP has said harassment of any kind is not tolerated.

Police psychologist Dr. Mike Webster knows Galliford and wasn't surprised by the allegations. "Policing is a man's world, and I'm sure per capita there as many females in municipal police departments subject to that kind of sexual harassment."

However, Webster says in municipal policing there are functional processes like a union that women can use to have their complaints addressed. "In the RCMP, women are left to take the route that Catherine Galliford has taken, which is to hire a lawyer to have her complaints addressed."      

When asked if he had any advice for women thinking of joining the RCMP, Webster says "don't, perhaps one day when workers' rights are enshrined in a collective agreement."

He adds only when that happens will the likelihood of a female being abused will be reduced