Canada’s most populous province will get $1.1 million a year for the next three years to support treatment centres in hospitals for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Premier Kathleen Wynne says she wants to reduce the number of assaults, but also to increase the number of incidents that are reported to police. Sexual assault is a criminal offence in Canada. It is defined as “all incidents of unwanted sexual activity, including sexual attacks and sexual touching.”
Few survivors call police
There is an average of 1,000 sexual assaults a day across Canada, she says. But only 33 of those are reported to police. Often victims are afraid, ashamed or too overwhelmed to make a complaint.
‘It’s Never Okay’
“It’s Never Okay” is the name of a campaign Wynne launched last March, promising a total of $41 million over three years to raise public awareness about issues like rape culture, the obligation to obtain consent before initiating sexual encounters, and gender inequality.
The most recent tranche of that will help improve existing counselling services in hospitals and for an outreach program. Says Wynne: “It’s about helping more survivors feel safe about coming forward and better supporting them when they do.”
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