Sexual Assault Trial Verdict Delayed for Former Head of Military HR
An Ottawa judge has requested more time to finalize the decision in the sexual assault trial involving former vice-admiral Haydn Edmundson.
Edmundson, who was the head of military personnel in 2021, faced allegations of raping a woman onboard a navy ship in 1991.
The trial, which lasted two weeks in February, has experienced two delays in delivering the verdict.
During the trial, the complainant, who was 19 years old at the time of the alleged assault and held the navy’s lowest rank, testified. Edmundson, on the other hand, was an officer.
The woman revealed that she did not disclose the incident to anyone at the time and only came forward years later.
Edmundson entered a plea of not guilty and refuted any claims of sexual contact with the woman during his testimony.
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This case was part of a series of prominent accusations leveled against senior military officials in 2021, prompting an independent review that recommended significant changes to the Armed Forces’ culture.
