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Vancouver Police Officer Speaks Out After Sexual Assault Investigation
Over five years have passed since a female officer of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) was sexually assaulted by a colleague, an incident that has deeply impacted her life and career. While her identity remains protected due to a court-ordered publication ban, she is now sharing her experiences in light of a recent Police Act investigation outcome.
In 2021, Constable Jagraj Roger Berar of the VPD was found guilty of the assault and sentenced to one year in prison. The case took a troubling turn when the female officer learned that a colleague present during the trial had circulated derogatory text messages regarding her and her testimony, which were later shared among group chats.
“The moment those messages were read to me, I was overwhelmed with emotion,” the survivor recounted to Global News. “They left such a profound impact that I remember exactly where I first wrote them down.”
As a result of the investigation, Sergeant Narinder Dosanjh has been determined to have engaged in discreditable conduct regarding the incident.
Accountability in the Police Force
Former New Westminster Police Chief Dave Jansen, who oversaw the disciplinary investigation, criticized the text exchanges as being “not respectful or in any way supportive of a victim… who is also a fellow VPD member,” emphasizing that the comments seemed to favor the accused officer instead.
Sgt. Dosanjh, currently serving with the Surrey Police Service, is set to receive a written reprimand along with a mandate to complete at least eight hours of training focused on maintaining a respectful workplace. However, the survivor has expressed disappointment with the leniency of the penalty, stating, “I think he should have been dismissed.”
In his detailed 18-page report, Jansen acknowledged a troubling culture within the police force that discourages officers from reporting misconduct, as they are often labeled as “rats” for implicating their colleagues. “I am familiar with the unfortunate but often pervasive negative view of police officers who report misconduct by other police officers,” he noted.
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
Despite the challenges she has faced, the survivor chose to continue her career in law enforcement but has since moved to a different agency after leaving the VPD. She remains committed to a profession she has aspired to since childhood, asserting, “I refuse to give up my career because I was the victim of a crime.”
Her story highlights not only the personal toll of such experiences but also the broader issues of accountability, support, and culture within law enforcement agencies.
Source
globalnews.ca