Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. government announces new programs, police standards for sexual assault

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jul, 2023 01:51 PM
  • B.C. government announces new programs, police standards for sexual assault

The British Columbia government is updating policing standards in response to sexual assaults to ensure more effective investigations and improved outcomes for survivors. 

The province also says it's committing to providing stable annual funding to 68 sexual assault programs across B.C., while it sets new standards for police to collaborate with victims services workers during investigations. 

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says survivors deserve to be treated fairly after going through trauma and shielded from further harm, and the new standards and programs will "empower" those people. 

The province says the funding for the new programs kicks in this month, while new policing standards coupling investigators with victims services workers will begin next year, applying to all B.C. police officers. 

The RCMP began a review of its sexual assault complaints after a Globe and Mail investigation in 2017 reported police classify an average one in five sexual assaults as unfounded, and since then it has reopened hundreds of files and laid dozens of charges. 

Farnworth says the new B.C. policing standards includes a review of closed cases, and will involve "supervisory oversight" of investigations to make sure officers are impartial and "trauma informed." 

The B.C. government says it now kicks in $54 million a year for crime victim support services and programs, more than 470 of which deal with violence against women and sexual assault victims.

MORE National ARTICLES

Paragliding accident in North Okanagan

Paragliding accident in North Okanagan
A statement from Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP say the 63-year-old victim was an experienced paraglider. He had just taken off from a flight school near Lumby when police say he "suddenly and unexpectedly collided with the ground."  

Paragliding accident in North Okanagan

Hiker dies in West Vancouver

Hiker dies in West Vancouver
A hiker has died after plunging more than 60 metres from a path in Cypress Creek Canyon in West Vancouver. Police say the man -- in his 70s -- was hiking with a large group when he fell.

Hiker dies in West Vancouver

B.C. cargo flow should be back to normal in days after port strike, says researcher

B.C. cargo flow should be back to normal in days after port strike, says researcher
The union, which represents 7,400 workers in the job action that began July 1, has not yet commented on the pact. Federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan said Thursday that the strike that had snarled trade worth billions was over and thanked both sides.  

B.C. cargo flow should be back to normal in days after port strike, says researcher

19-year-old firefighter who died in B.C. is identified by her brother

19-year-old firefighter who died in B.C. is identified by her brother
The firefighter was working on brush-clearing in a remote area where a fire had started. Her team found her pinned under a fallen tree and began first aid, but she succumbed to her injuries after being airlifted to a hospital in Revelstoke.  

19-year-old firefighter who died in B.C. is identified by her brother

Mission stabbing victim dies of his injuries

Mission stabbing victim dies of his injuries
On Thursday, at 6:13 p.m., the Mission RCMP were called to the area of the 32500-block of Lougheed Highway. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 42-year old man, suffering from a stab wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where sadly, he succumbed to his injuries.  

Mission stabbing victim dies of his injuries

Sextortion on the rise in Kelowna

Sextortion on the rise in Kelowna
Mounties in Kelowna are warning about an increase of so-called sextortion targeting boys between the ages of 14 and 17. They say the victims often receive friend requests through popular social media sites, and engage in flirtatious conversations.  

Sextortion on the rise in Kelowna