Victims of Crime Awareness Week was celebrated April 19-25 in the province and was followed by some announcements regarding how victims of crime in the province can seek help.
First, the Victims of Interpersonal Violence Act has been updated and modernized a bit since it became the first act of its kind in Canada. It has been renamed from Victims of Domestic Violence Act to acknowledge that all kinds of interpersonal violence occurs, not just between couples.
“These kinds of things need to be updated from time to time,” said Justice Minister and Attorney General, Gordon Wyant.
He added that the legislation was getting dated and they looked to other provinces to see what was working or not working there, and taking it into account when coming up with changes.
Other changes include prohibitions on electronic communication between parties, including care giving relationships, including harassment and deprivation of necessities as prohibited forms of violence, extending non-contact provisions to prohibit contact at the victim’s schools and workplaces, and providing items for a Justice of the Peace to take into account when granting an emergency intervention order.
In addition to changes in the legislation, SaskCentral Victims Services was recently expanded across central Saskatchewan, which would also serve people in Humboldt. A facility was opened in Martensville on April 24.
SaskCentral is police-based, which means that they are run out of police stations.
“It’s important to have police-based victims services, because the police detachments are the first place people go when they’re the victim of a crime,” Wyant said. “The criminal justice system can be complicated and scary for a lot of people … it’s important to provide people with access to services and knowledge so that they can adequately maneuver their way through the system.”
The services include counseling and advice in whatever area the victim needs.
To commemorate the week, Wyant met with long-running victims services volunteers to thank them and acknowledge their service.
For victims of crime a bit closer to home, PARTNERS Family Services provides advice and links to outside resources. They also help clients leave an unsafe situation or provide help if the client has left and still feels unsafe.
“If someone has felt victimized, they can come here and we can help them to feel supported or informed or we can find a resource that we feel that they need,” said Karen MacCarville, prevention and support program services manager.
She added that everything they do is with the client’s consent.
“We feel it is important here at PARTNERS to bring awareness to this week because victims are looking beyond their victimization to shape their own future,” she said. “Victims of crime define their experience differently; their victimization does not need to define them. The Victims of Crime Awareness week provides an opportunity for victims to reflect on this and to remind themselves of this.”
MacCarville also said that it’s important to remember that while Canada has made great strides in providing services for victims, there is always more that can be done.
“A week like this shapes the future for victims by raising awareness around the issue of crime,” she said. “To raise awareness around victimization of people who have been victimized by something is a validation of what they’ve been through.”
