TAKE ACTION
We need mandatory sexual assault sensitivity training for judges. Tell your Member of Parliament and Senator to pass Bill C-5!
While 1 in 3 women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime, only 1 in 10 women report it. For every 1000 sexual assaults that take place in Canada…only three perpetrators are convicted. Starting at the police station, police don’t believe survivors: In 2017, the Globe and Mail revealed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) dismiss 1 in 5 sexual assault claims as ‘baseless’ and ‘unfounded’’. To give you a comparison, 1 in 10 physical assault claims are dismissed, and this rate is much lower for all other types of crime.
Survivors of sexual assault often do not report because they do not trust the justice system. There are many myths about sexual assault that can cause bias in the hearing of a case. Bill C-5 attemps to address. A version of this bill was originally introduced in 2017. It was in response to Robin Camp’s behaviour, who was then serving as an Alberta provincial court judge. As reported by the CBC, during the case, Camp asked the sexual assault survivor a very inappropriate question.
That’s why we want you to take action and advocate for Bill C-5! We need fairness and dignity in our justice system.
Bill C-5, an Act to Amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code, would ensure:
- All newly appointed provincial superior court judges undergo training to learn about the myths and stereotypes still associated with sexual assault cases
- The Canadian Judicial Council reports on ongoing efforts to provide similar training to sitting judges
- Judges are putting their reasons on the record when they rule on sexual assault cases
Survivors of sexual assault have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Take action today to make this a reality across Canada!
