Hiestand Public Interest Investigation (MPCC‑2022‑017, MPCC‑2022‑041, MPCC‑2022‑043) – Homepage

Military Police Complaints Commission Issues Two Final Reports into
the Hiestand Public Interest Investigation

February 12, 2026 (Ottawa) – The Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) has released two Final Reports into three separate conduct complaints concerning a November 2021 investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS), and other members of the military police, involving Major (Maj) Cristian Hiestand. Six weeks after the charges were laid in the case, Maj Hiestand died by suicide.

The Public Interest Investigation was initiated in November 2022.

The first two conduct complaints were brought by close relatives of Maj Hiestand and were dealt with as one investigation. The complaints took issue with the CFNIS investigators’ alleged failure to interview, or receive evidence from, Maj Hiestand prior to deciding to lay sexual assault charges against him. They also alleged that the CFNIS failed to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation.

The third conduct complaint, which was dealt with on its own, is from a former military police member who witnessed alleged wrongdoing by military police members at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Moose Jaw military police detachment, when the alleged sexual assault was initially reported to them.

The MPCC’s investigation followed an internal investigation by the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal’s (CFPM) Office of Professional Standards (PS), which concluded in February 2024. While it found fault with certain actions by the leadership of the Moose Jaw military police detachment, who were responsible for the initial intake of the sexual assault complaint on November 25, 2021, the Office of PS cleared the CFNIS members of any wrongdoing in the ensuing investigation, which led to the arrest and charging of Maj Hiestand a few days later.

Findings and Recommendations: First Two Complaints

In her Final Report on the first two complaints, the MPCC’s Chairperson, Me Tammy Tremblay, concluded that while the CFNIS investigators did offer Maj Hiestand a chance to be interviewed and to provide information about the allegations against him, which he refused, they did not conduct an impartial and thorough investigation.

Overall, the Chairperson found that the investigation suffered from a rush to judgment and confirmation bias. It also lacked supervisory oversight; failed to probe critical issues, such as consent; failed to pursue critical witness interviews; and, failed to review text messages between the victim and accused. It was marked by undue haste in arresting and charging Maj Hiestand.

The Final Report makes 13 recommendations to improve CFNIS investigative practices around sexual assault cases, including:

• Enhanced training on identifying and interviewing witnesses, conducting sexual assault investigations, and handling digital evidence;
• Implementing protocols for handling digital evidence and the assignment of sexual assault investigations;
• Requiring that investigators consult with prosecutors before laying charges in sexual assault cases; and
• Developing a formal program to allow experienced members of civilian police services to serve embedded as leaders in CFNIS sexual assault investigations, focusing on mentoring and case management.

“Our investigation found that the accused was offered the opportunity to share his side of the story, which was one of the concerns brought forth in the conduct complaint. However, I have concluded that the CFNIS investigators conducted an inadequate investigation, marked by undue haste in arresting and charging Maj Hiestand,” said Me Tammy Tremblay, Chairperson, Military Police Complaints Commission. “Implementing our recommendations would significantly improve future sexual assault investigations by enhancing investigative supervision and case management.”

Findings and Recommendations: Third Complaint

In its Final Report on the third complaint, the MPCC found several instances of wrongdoing by the military police leadership of CFB Moose Jaw detachment on the night the alleged sexual assault was reported. These include:

• Failing to record the alleged victim’s initial police interview, despite having the means to do so;
• Assigning inexperienced military police members to conduct the interview;
• The participation of an intoxicated supervisor in decision making about the case; and
• Allowing someone potentially involved in the case to sit in on the victim’s interview.

The Final Report makes 4 recommendations to improve intake processes for sexual assault investigations, including:

• Proactively asking victims of sexual offences whether they have a preference regarding the gender of their interviewer;
• Implementing a clear policy mandating the recording of all investigative interviews; and
• Ensuring victim-support persons are not potential witnesses or potentially implicated.

“The intake stage of a sexual assault investigation is a critical juncture that sets the stage for the integrity, fairness, and effectiveness of the entire investigative process,” said Me Tremblay. “The series of wrongdoings that occurred during this intake process clearly compromised the investigation from the outset.”

Canadian Forces Provost Marshal’s Response

The CFPM must inform the MPCC and the Minister of National Defense of any action that has been or will be taken with respect to these complaints. On January 27, 2026, the CFPM responded and none of the 13 recommendations from the first Final Report were accepted and only one in the second Final Report was accepted.

“It is deeply concerning that all but one of the recommendations in these Final Reports were not accepted,” continues Me Tremblay. “This shows a lack of accountability for the shortcomings identified in this investigation. Without a willingness to confront these failures and commit to meaningful change, the systemic issues highlighted in this investigation will remain unaddressed, to the detriment of future military police investigators, complainants, suspects and the integrity of military policing as a whole. In my view, such an outcome compounds the already tragic elements of this case.”

“It is imperative that the CFPM swiftly implement these recommendations to ensure that all future investigations are conducted to the high standards of rigour, impartiality, and professionalism that Canadians expect and that members of the Canadian Forces deserve,” she concludes.

All of the findings and recommendations, along with the CFPM’s responses to each, can be found in the two separate Final Reports.

• Shorter-Hiestand Final Report
• Warsame Final Report

For information, please contact:

Date modified:

2026-02-12