California law requires police officers to tell crime victims about their rights. Why not in Canada?
May 16, 2012
We can organize a week to raise awareness about crime victims. Let’s pass legislation to make crime victims aware of what exists to help them.
The 2009 Statistics Canada survey of adults in Canada showed that an abysmal 31% of victims were reporting crime to the police. In 2004, the same survey showed only 8% of sexual assault victims reporting crime to police.
In 2009, the retiring Chief Justice of Ontario and one of the father´s of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms recommended that police in Ontario inform victims of services and programs because international standards require it and because it will help victims get restitution and compensation. He also recommended measuring whether victims were receiving the services and programs through social science surveys. But nothing happened! (http://www.attorneygeneral.
In 2007, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the US Office for Victims of Crime developed a package for police leaders to enhance the response of law enforcement to victims of crime. Canadian police leadership have been active in the IACP since its founding. This IACP package called for social science surveys to measure whether victims need were being met – like retired Chief Justice McMurtry.
Let´s get the Federal government to change the RCMP act and work with the Provincial governments and municipalities to help our police officers do what they want to do and make crime victims aware of services and programs that can help them.
Here is the tweet from the California Criminal Injuries Compensation that was retweeted to me by the Canada Resource Centre for Victims of Crime. “Law enforcement officers don’t just read criminals their rights: they tell crime victims about theirs under Marsy’s Law. #PoliceWeek”
PS Marsy´s law, the IACP proposals and ways to gender the police response to victims of violence against women are all discussed in my book Rights for Victims of Crime.
Irvin Waller, Ph.D.
President, International Organization for Victim Assistance
Full Professor, University of Ottawa
www.irvinwaller.org | www.iovahelp.org | @IrvinWaller
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAKES SEVERAL IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS DURING VICTIMS WEEK
April 30, 2012
Just in advance of National Victims of Crime Awareness Week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a new income support program for parents who take time off work to cope with the death of disappearance of a child as a result of a crime. The Federal Income Support for Parents of Murdered or Missing Children is intended to help ease the financial hardship of parents struggling to cope with the death or disappearance of a child under 18 which occurred as a result of crime. This program will provide affected parents with $350 per week for up to 35 weeks.
At the federal symposium in Ottawa on April 23rd, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announced that the government will increase funding to the Victim’s Fund by $7 million over five years, $5 million of which will be directed to the creation and enhancement of Child Advocacy Centres across Canada. Minister Nicholson also announced that the government has amended the terms and conditions of the Victims Fund to allow non-governmental groups serving victims to apply for time-limited operational funding, which is superb news for organizations like the CRCVC.
On April 24, the Minister of Justice announced the introduction of an act to amend the Criminal Code (victim surcharge). The amendment will make convicted offenders more accountable to victims of crime by doubling the victim surcharge that offenders must pay, and ensuring that the surcharge is automatically applied in all cases. This recommendation was made by Steve Sullivan when he served as Canada’s first Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime.
On April 26, the federal government announced that it will provide $350,000 to establish a Child Advocacy Centre in Halifax. In addition, the Government will contribute more than $2 million in funding to the provincial government for programs to support victims of crime across Nova Scotia.
Victims Week 2012 was incredibly successful and encompassed more than 160 events and projects held in all the provinces and territories, with a federal government investment of more than $1.4 million.