It was the young soldier’s first deployment — a 2021 mission in Iraq.
She loved her military career, worked hard and was recognized for it. So much so she was on track for rapid advancement, and her application for special forces was just around the corner.
All of this took a dark, rapid turn on Dec. 10, 2021, after a night of drinking on a dry base at the quarters of her boss, Sgt. Alex Esliger.
Esliger invited his crew for a night of drinking, which was not permitted on this deployment to Iraq. Later that evening, the young soldier, who cannot be named due to a publication ban, wanted to go to sleep, but did not want to be seen on base until she was sober. Esliger told her to sleep in his bedroom.
She did, only to later be sexually assaulted by the sergeant who pinned her down in the bunk against the wall and against her will.
The disgraced military man has now been sentenced to three years in prison for violating the young soldier in Erbil, Iraq.
Esliger, 40, was convicted after trial with Ontario Court Justice Robert Wadden presiding.
The Ottawa judge noted the impact on the young soldier has been severe. She reported that the crime has left her feeling ostracized and her military career compromised. Beyond physical pain, she also suffered significant psychological harm.
In an impact statement filed in Ottawa court, the soldier said she felt lost, dirty, stupid, exploited and helpless.
She now has trouble with intimate relationships, and coming forward left her feeling isolated and ostracized in her dream career.
The judge highlighted: “It impacted her ability to advance as a member of the Armed Forces, a career she loves and for which she seems well-suited.”
The soldier concluded her impact statement by questioning if she would ever come forward again, after a difficult journey through the police and court system. She said she would do it again in the name of “accountability and stopping such behaviour.”
Esliger is from New Brunswick, and was last posted to a base in Alberta before he was sent to prison.
His Ottawa defence lawyer referenced a list of medical issues as mitigating factors for sentencing. Esliger was diagnosed with depression in 2022, as well as anxiety and PTSD in 2023.
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