Master seaman faces sexual assault charges at military court martial in Halifax

A court martial for a member of the Royal Canadian Navy accused of sexual assault and ill treatment of a subordinate is expected to reconvene today in Halifax. (Pixabay photo)

HALIFAX – A court martial for a member of the Royal Canadian Navy accused of sexual assault and ill treatment of a subordinate is expected to reconvene today in Halifax.

Master seaman Daniel Cooper, a naval communicator at Canadian Forces Base Halifax, had his case delayed in the fall after his defence lawyer withdrew.

The charges against Cooper stem from an alleged incident in November 2015.

Military police said at the time the complainant was also a member of the Forces.

Investigators said both men were participating in a training exercise on board the navy’s last remaining destroyer, HMCS Athabaskan, off the coast of Spain, at the time of the alleged incident.

The Canadian Forces have been attempting to clamp down on sexual misconduct in the ranks since l’Actualite and Maclean’s magazines reported in April 2014 that a large number of military sexual assaults were being ignored or played down.