Criminal Justice System in Canada
CONTENT IN PROGRESS
Going ahead with charges.....what every victim or survivor should be aware of...
News & Articles on sexual assault cases:
Introduction
Just when it seems things are getting better, another new story breaks to remind me that we still have a long way to go in bringing awareness to the fact that some people still think it is okay to deliberately harm and sexually traumatize another human being.
To add to this injury, as noted in the Januray 2024 article below, the criminal justice system was never set up for the complex evidence of sexual assault where the question is whether there was informed, unimpaired consent.
To clearly illustrate this problem, in this section are news stories and case results noted with comments that I have come across in the news now that there is a call to have military sexual assault cases handled by the civilian court system.
Please feel free to e-mail Sam any Canadian military case results you would like to see included.
2024 January 31
A civilian perspective that is equally applicable to how many MST survivors I have spoken with have been treated after reporting their military sexual assaults, myself included in 2016:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/nobody-wins-in-sexual-assault-cases-says-survivors-advocate-1.6748505
2024 March 14
Proof that united voices can influence changes in the Canadian judicial system, as the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime has agreed to launch a probe into treatment of sexual assault survivors by the Canadian justice system:
Date
Comment & link
Groups trying to spread COURT process awareness
Survivor Safety Matters
This group is a Canadian advocacy group
made up of survivors of sexual assault
and those who support them,
who are working to introduce a petition
and bring public attention
to change Section 278
of the Canadian Criminal Code
so it no longer allows people
charged with sexual assault
to apply for their victim’s personal records.
Petition
Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:
- Section 278 of the Criminal Code currently allows a person who has been charged with sexual assault to apply for access to their victim's private and confidential records for which the victim has a reasonable expectation of privacy;
- For a victim of sexual assault, the threat that their private clinical notes and/or personal journals will be included in court proceedings and given to the accused is frightening given the magnitude of this potential privacy violation;
- Functionally, a request for access to ongoing clinical notes cuts off a survivor's access to mental health supports during the court process, when they need it most;
- It is worth noting that the release of such documents to the defence opens the survivor up to continued harm by the accused, long after the court process has completed; and
- The accused should be tried on the evidence of the case, gathered by the police to support the charges that were laid. A victim's personal records, unless part of the original evidence, are not relevant to the crime that was committed against them;
You can SIGN this Petition HERE
Open for signatureFebruary 12, 2024, at 2:02 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signatureMay 12, 2024, at 2:02 p.m. (EDT)
Strength in Unity, Ending Sexual Assault in Canada
Strength in Unity, Ending Sexual Assault in Canada
Strength in Unity, Ending Sexual Assault in Canada
Strength in Unity, Ending Sexual Assault in Canada
This website was created by another MST survivor to help create awareness on how the government and Canadian Justice System treats victims & survivors of sexual assault.
It has an EXCELLENT collection of news articles highlighting the ongoing issues relating to sexual assaults in Canada.
She also inlcudes links to her eloquent TikTok videos.
Sign her petition against Non-Disclosure Agreements here.
Group Name
Strength in Unity, Ending Sexual Assault in Canada
Strength in Unity, Ending Sexual Assault in Canada
Mission/Purpose/Intent
Hyperlink
Searching for more, so:
Feel free to send me info
on your group
(preference to Canadian groups)
if you have a website to link to.
Contact: