Royal Canadian Navy hold sexual consent discussions

Some sailors from the Royal Canadian Navy have been getting a lesson in sexual consent.

The training comes as military police areinvestigating an alleged sexual assault on board HMCS Athabaskan.

• HMCS Athabaskan sexual assault report of sailor sparks investigation

Every member of the Royal CanadianNavy is participating in "briefings"on sexual misconduct and sexual consent.

The briefings arepart of the military's pledge, called Op Honour,to stamp out bad sexual behaviour within its ranks.

One of the resources the military is using is a videocreated by a police force in the U.K., which has made the rounds on YouTube.

The video is calledTea and Consent and uses making someone a cup oftea as an analogy for sexual consent.

Rear-Admiral John Newton says these educational talks have nothing to do with the sexual assault allegations on the Athabaskan and thetiming is coincidental.

Newton tells CBC the briefing for the Athabaskantook place at sea on Nov.18, a week after the alleged assault took place. The conversations had been planned weeks earlier.

The Athabaskan crew weren't shown the video because they weren't able to watch it at sea.Newton says the video is not mandatory, but it's a tool the military is using.

The briefing topic was timely as it highlighted a real situation faced by the ship's company, says Newton.

"The case was known to the crew.It increased the gravity and importance of the briefings that were prescribed under Op Honour," he said.

Newton says the topic was uncomfortable, but it was rewarding because it sparked conversation among people"young and old, married and single, [and] people of all gender identities."

Newton has led four of these briefings personally. He says he hopes the same positive discourse occurred on the Athabaskan.

Newton also clarified that the incident happened in port whilein Rota, Spain, when HMCS Athabaskan was dockedand about to head home.

Both sailors involved were flown homeseparatelyas part of the military's commitment to protect the victim from re-victimization.