An RCMP officer on suspended leave calls Thursday’s settlement announcement a positive first step — but just that, at least for now.
“It’s a beginning, it’s a start, and it’s what we’ve hoped for, it’s what we’ve been waiting for for five years,” said Const. Cathy Mansley, who lives in Hammonds Plains, N.S.
“The problem is just starting to be identified, and in order to fix a problem, you have to acknowledge it first. Yesterday was just an acknowledgement, that’s all it was.”
She first told her story to Global News in 2015, describing harassment from her colleagues.
On Thursday, the RCMP announced a $100 million settlement for two class-action lawsuits. Commissioner Bob Paulson apologized to women victims and said, “We hurt you.”
READ MORE: RCMP earmarks $100M in compensation for sexual harassment against female Mounties
“I think he realizes now that something has to change,” said Mansley, adding that she was the first person to initiate one of the lawsuits.
She said that she isn’t sure if she wants to return to the job but is sure that the RCMP needs to do more to make sure what she and hundreds of other women went through doesn’t happen again.
Mansley also said that being a police officer, something she aspired to become since she was eight years old, did still have quite a number highs during her 15 years working for the RCMP.
“I had the happiest 10 years of my life there,” she said.
Comments