No One To Tell

Breaking My Silence on Life in the RCMP

by Janet Merlot, edited by Leslie Vryenhoek, introduction by Linden MacIntyre

tagged: personal memoirs, women

Description

A stunning personal account of Janet Merlo's twenty years of service in the RCMP, with an introduction by Linden MacIntyre. In 2012, Janet Merlo was among the first female RCMP officers to publicly allege she had experienced sexual harassment and gender discrimination while serving in Canada's national police force. The women kept silent for so long, she says, because there was no one to tell. In this courageous memoir, Janet recalls how her love of policing was soured by covert and overt sexism within the ranks and by an institutional culture that valued toughness and silence over ethics and accountability. Tracing her twenty years in uniform, Merlo’s story details the highs and lows of her career in the RCMP – while her mental health and personal life disintegrated. Eventually, the cost of keeping quiet was simply too high, and her story emerges as a lone, brave voice seeking change.

About the Authors

Janet Merlot

Janet Merlo is a retired member of the RCMP. Originally from Harbour Grace, Merlo now lives with her two daughters in St. John’s, Newfoundland. She is the representative plaintiff in a proposed class-action lawsuit against the RCMP.

Leslie Vryenhoek has worked as a professional communicator in international development, advanced education, emergency response, and the arts. She travels extensively to gather stories about the lives of poor working women, which have been published worldwide. Her 2015 novel Ledger of the Open Hand was shortlisted for Newfoundland and Labrador’s prestigious Winterset Award and longlisted for the international Dublin Literary Award. She lives in St. John’s.

Linden MacIntyre is one of Canada’s most distinguished broadcast journalists. The winner of nine Gemini Awards, he is the co-host of CBC Television’s the fifth estate, and has been involved in the production of documentaries and stories from all over the world. MacIntyre was born in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland, and grew up in Port Hastings, Cape Breton. He now lives in Toronto. http://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/linden-macintyre.html#.UVMytBesiSo

Editorial Review

The impunity of RCMP officers who use obscenity and sex and power as tools in their trade is spreading like a stain on a national icon. Will disclosure force change? No One to Tell is a test case for an organization that was once the pride of the nation.

— Sally Armstrong, author of Ascent of Women

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