Sexual assault awareness is a community issue
In Canada, only one in 10 sexual assaults are reported to police. Everyone has their reasons — some feel guilt, shame, embarrassment, are worried about being judged or having to re-tell the story, even confusion over what constitutes a sexual assault prevents survivors from coming forward.
Making the decision to report rests entirely with each survivor of sexual assault. As a police officer, I will not attempt to tell anyone how they should feel or what they should do. I acknowledge that it takes a tremendous amount of courage to report a sexual assault and to anyone who has come forward or is deciding whether they should, know this: we believe you.
May is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and I want to make sure our community knows the Lethbridge Police Service takes every report of sexual assault seriously. We will investigate all allegations and adhere to our duty to follow the evidence. Survivors will be treated with dignity and respect and we will do everything we can to bring the offender to justice.
What I can’t promise is charges or a conviction. Nor can I tell you it will be easy — it won’t be. I have investigated sexual assaults and I have seen the emotional toll it takes on survivors and their families. There will be many questions, you will be expected to disclose intimate details and then we will investigate what you have told us, collect physical evidence — if there is any — and determine within law, whether charges can be laid. I will be very frank, in some cases there isn’t enough evidence to support charges and even in those where there is, the bar for criminal conviction is reasonably high.
Sexual violence is an allencompassing term that describes any activity of a sexual nature where consent is not freely given or obtained or an individual does not voluntary agree to engage in the activity. Sexual violence occurs when an individual is forced, manipulated or coerced into unwanted sexual activity. It can happen to anyone regardless of gender, age, race or culture, however, victims are predominantly female and generally — 82 per cent of the time according to the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services — the offender is known to the victim.
So what is consent? Yes means yes and everything else means no. Consent is voluntary, clearly communicated and ongoing. An individual can withdraw their consent at any time, even during the sexual activity.
To report a sexual assault, call 911 in an emergency or 403-328-4444 if you are not in immediate danger. The dispatchers at the Public Safety Communications Centre will provide you with some instructions depending on the circumstances such as attending the hospital for examination and treatment, not showering or bathing and keeping sheets or clothing to preserve any forensic evidence. Reporting to police, which will initiate a formal investigation, is the first option. The second option is for someone to attend the hospital for treatment but not pursue charges. Medical staff will not contact police or disclose any information to us unless you ask them to.
Locally — through the Amethyst Project — there is also a “Third Option” which gives someone who has been sexually assaulted up to one year to decide whether they want to pursue the matter in court. In those cases the person would attend the hospital, a sexual assault kit would be completed and the evidence stored for one year to give the individual time to make their decision.
The Lethbridge Police Service is a member of the local Sexual Violence Action Committee, which is a standing committee of professionals dedicated to providing leadership, coordination and a unified voice on issues related to sexual violence in southwestern Alberta. In addition, LPS supports a proposal that has been put forward by the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre Board of Directors to create a dedicated sexual assault centre for the City of Lethbridge and surrounding communities.
Lethbridge is the only city in the province that does not currently have a sexual assault centre. The proposed model would provide community education and awareness about sexual assault, provide counselling services and assist survivors as they make their way through medical, legal and other processes.