Skip to content

Advocate set to probe Canada’s treatment of sexual assault victims

Public consultations in the spring, final report expected by the summer of 2025
web1_20240311160344-65ef6dee093e3d4c19ff87bcjpeg
The federal advocate for victims of crime is investigating how Canada’s justice system treats sexual assault survivors. The federal coat of arms are shown in a courtroom at the Edmonton Law Courts building, in Edmonton on June 28, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

The federal advocate for victims of crime is investigating how Canada’s justice system treats sexual assault survivors.

Benjamin Roebuck, the federal ombudsperson for victims of crime, says the rights of victims are often ignored, and survivors say the system doesn’t make them feel safe.

Roebuck says the idea that survivors will have a painful experience navigating the justice system has become normalized.

His office says it hopes the investigation will result in systemic and urgent reforms.

The investigation will look at how survivors interact with law enforcement and the justice system from first contact to after sentencing.

The office will launch public consultations in the spring, with the goal of producing a final report by the summer of 2025.

READ ALSO: Kelowna RCMP to further investigate 12 sexual assault cases, create sexual assault unit

READ ALSO: Canadian Armed Forces to change approach to sexual assault investigations