Sexual violence — an underreported epidemic

Please be advised that this letter contains discussion about sexual violence in our province.

It is estimated that 11 million Canadians have been physically or sexually assaulted since the age of 15. Despite the staggering rates of sexual violence in Canada, only three per cent of sexual assault cases lead to a conviction.

Fifty-three per cent of hospitals in Newfoundland and Labrador do not have access to sexual assault evidence kits (SAEK). Therefore, if an individual is assaulted, there’s a good chance the hospital nearest cannot collect the evidence of the crime. When it comes to SAEK evidence, time is of the essence. Oftentimes, victims are required to travel to have evidence collected.

In our own province, Labrador has a staggeringly high rate of sexual assault — more than four times the national average. These numbers are rising. Labrador is home to five per cent of the province’s population, but it accounted for about one-quarter of police-reported sexual assaults last year. Forty-three per cent of Labrador’s population is indigenous.

Currently, there are no sexual assault nurse examiners in Labrador. So, when we think about collecting evidence for sexual assault victims, it’s safe to assume that the entire population of Labrador is within that 53 per cent of areas that are unequipped to help victims of sexual assault.

This is systemic racism and an outright failure on our government’s behalf to protect women and children. We are leaving our most vulnerable with little chance of receiving justice.