Ottawa to boost support for child crime victims
New advocacy centres pledged as awareness week begins
The federal government will kick off National Victims of Crime Awareness Week today with a pledge to create new child advocacy centres and boost funding for existing locations, Postmedia News has learned.
It remains to be seen whether the government uses the opportunity to come through on any of the 20 recommendations aimed at rebalancing the offender-centric justice system unveiled in a report three months ago by Canada’s new victims ombudsman Sue O’sullivan.
The one-stop shops for child victims of crime offer a kid-centred environment where young witnesses and victims could receive counselling, meet with police and lawyers as well as receive medical and psychological treatment.
Popular in the United States, the model was championed in Canada by the ombudsman’s office, created in 2007.
The funding is on top of the $5.2 million over five years allocated for child advocacy centres starting in 2010.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson is expected to unveil details of the funding boost during a symposium in Ottawa, which is among more than 160 events across the country taking place this week as part of the seventh annual awareness week.
Conservative Kerry-lynne Findlay, Nicholson’s parliamentary secretary, said Ottawa has contributed more than $1.4 million to the various local events.
“Every victim of crime should be treated with compassion and respect for their dignity. They often feel left out of the process because the focus is on, perhaps, the offence itself or the offender and what’s going to happen to them and they feel quite voiceless sometimes,” Findlay said in an interview.
“This week is about the opportunity to raise awareness about the issues faced by victims.”