Mom’s crusade wins more help for crime victims
‘Sad case’ moved the government
QUEBEC – The Quebec government is boosting its crime victims’ compensation fund in response to the public battle waged by Isabelle Gaston, the ex-wife of Guy Turcotte who killed their two young children in 2009.
Justice Minister Jean-marc Fournier said Wednesday the provincial budget tabled the day before contained an extra $500,000 annually for the fund, known as IVAC (Indemnisation des victimes d’actes criminals).
That will make it possible to increase the l ump-sum death compensation granted to parents of a deceased child from $2,000 to $10,000.
The amount to cover funeral costs will rise to $4,826 from $3,000 and the coverage for psychotherapeutic care for victims and their loved ones will go from 20 sessions to 30.
The government will also authorize the reimbursement of crime scene cleanup expenses up to $3,000.
Fournier made no secret that Gaston’s public protests and the petition she launched to urge Quebec to improve victims’ aid played a big role in the decision.
“Politicians are humans,” Fournier told reporters in Quebec City.
“There are extremely sad events that moved all of Quebec and you shouldn’t be surprised they also moved us.”
Gaston was at the National Assembly on Wednesday to table her petition signed by more than 30,000 people.
She welcomed the changes to the victims’ compensation board even though the government didn’t follow through with one of her proposals to consider parents of victims as victims themselves.
Fournier said that measure would have cost the government “several million dollars” more.
“I think it’s great that all politicians are going in the same direction and showing compassion for victims,” Gaston said.
“I believe everybody is a winner in this because in the end, a healthier parent is a more productive parent able to give back to the society,” she said.
Fournier said he sent a letter to his federal counterpart, Rob Nicholson, to ask Ottawa to make changes to employment insurance to make crime victims eligible for compassionate care benefits.
Currently those benefits are paid to people who have to be away from work temporarily to care for a family member who is dying or at risk of death.
Fournier said he raised the issue with Conservative Senator Pierre-hugues Boisvenu, who said the federal government could be open to changes.