Statement made on 02 February 2012 by Senator Roméo Dallaire
Hon. Roméo Antonius Dallaire:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government. Recently, we received statistics on the number of soldiers who were wounded or killed during operations in Afghanistan. The figures are particularly relevant. A total of 13.2 per cent of the 40,000 Canadians who participated in operations overseas suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, 6,732 veterans who participated in this mission are receiving help from the Department of Veterans Affairs; this does not include veterans who participated in all of the other missions before Afghanistan.
The report indicates that 158 soldiers were killed in Afghanistan — 138 in action and 20 in theatre but not in action. These cases involve at least two suicides. Where are the statistics on all those who committed suicide after their return to Canada because of the post-traumatic stress injuries they sustained while they were participating in the mission in Afghanistan?
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