OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 8, 2017) - The safety and security of Canadians are of paramount importance to our Government. We also believe that public confidence in the criminal justice system is essential. For victims or survivors of sexual assault, building this confidence requires that we address the significant barriers they face in reporting the crimes to police and testifying in court.
Today, on International Women's Day, the Government of Canada is a hosting a knowledge exchange on the current realities of reporting, charging and prosecuting cases of sexual assault against adults in Canada. In Canada, as in other countries, most sexual assaults are not reported to police and when they are, they are less likely than other crimes to result in a guilty verdict. Complainants, including Indigenous women, face unique challenges, including facing social stigmas, being questioned about intimate details of their lives or not being believed.
With the participation of criminal justice professionals, academics, victim service providers and government policy makers, the forum will examine promising practices from within Canada and other common-law jurisdictions that aim to strengthen the criminal justice system's responses to sexual assault crimes.
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"Sexual assault is far too prevalent a problem, crossing social boundaries and affecting communities across Canada. It is a significant barrier to women's equality and has grave effects on the lives of survivors and Canadian society as a whole. The Government of Canada is working with governments at all levels, and in partnerships with non-governmental organizations, to transform the criminal justice system to better respond to incidents of sexual assault."
The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
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Associated Links
Justice Canada Knowledge Exchange 2017: The criminal justice system's responses to sexual assault against adults - www.justice.gc.ca/ke2017
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