A senior Canadian Forces officer based at national headquarters in Ottawa has been charged with sexual assault. Lt.-Col. Andrew Mills was charged in early June, with a court hearing scheduled for July 15 in Barrie, Ontario, according to information obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.
Officer Denies Allegations
Mills’ lawyer, Brandon Crawford of Edelson Foord Law in Ottawa, released a statement to the Ottawa Citizen asserting that “LCol Mills categorically denies any criminal wrongdoing, and trusts that the truth will come to light through the court process.” No details about the circumstances of the allegations have been released.
Legal Conditions and Assignment
A notice of undertaking for Mills to appear on June 11 was signed on June 4 by military police. He is ordered to have no communication with the alleged victim. Mills is assigned to the office of the Chief of Military Personnel.
Investigation and Response
The investigation into the alleged incident was handled by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service at Canadian Forces Base Borden, Ontario. The Canadian Forces and the Department of National Defence had not responded to a request for comment sent on June 23 as of publication.
Lack of Public Release
It remains unclear why the Office of the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal did not issue a news release about the charge against Mills, as it has done in the past for other military personnel facing similar charges.
