CBC News obtained an image of a statement posted by Joannou to Facebook on Wednesday apologizing to participants in her program. I am deeply saddened by the compounded hurt and pain that having a registered sex offender as a mentor on our program in 2018 has caused for so many people, Joannou wrote in the Facebook post. If I had a chance to do it all over again, this would not have happened. Did we make some errors in our early efforts? Undoubtedly, but it has shaped our awareness and our methods going forward.
The post comes a day after Joannou, in an exchange with CBC News, defended her actions and did not apologize for using retired Canadian Forces major Jonathan Hamilton as a peer mentor at the retreat.
Posted: May 11, 2021 4:20 PM ET | Last Updated: May 12
‘I’m still hurting,’ retired corporal says after experience at trauma retreat
Politics News4 days ago
3:43Tina Sharp describes her experience at Project Trauma Support and why she left the program feeling suicidal.3:43
Warning: The following story contains graphic details some readers may find disturbing
Some Canadian Armed Forces veterans and first responders who are sexual assault survivors said they were outraged to learn their peer mentor at a women s trauma retreat was himself a registered sex offender.
Project Trauma Support is a residential treatment program. Its medical director is Dr. Manuela Joannou, a family physician and ER doctor in Perth, Ontario. The program works with military personnel, veterans and first responders who ve experienced post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and operational stress injury through outdoor group exercises. Some participants have credited the program with saving their