Victims of sexual or conjugal violence will soon have all the support they need to go through the obstacle course imposed by the legal process more serenely.
The Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, on Friday launched his first pilot project for a court specializing in sexual violence and domestic violence at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse.
“We have begun a significant culture change within the justice system to better respond to the needs and realities of victimized individuals,” he said. Referring to statistics showing that many victims of sexual assault or domestic violence file very few complaints with the police, the Minister argued that “as a society, we cannot accept this and it is an intolerable situation”.
“Rebuilding trust”
“We are all driven by a common goal of rebuilding victims’ trust in the justice system,” said Mr. Jolin-Barrette.
At his side, his colleague responsible for the status of women, Isabelle Charest, added. “A wind of change is blowing in society. There is a collective awareness and that’s good because sexual assault and domestic violence should no longer go unmentioned,” she said.
Rearrange the space
Several elements distinguish this court from others, most of which aim to surround, accompany and protect the alleged victims.
Thus, dedicated spaces in the courthouse are set up to give victims an impression of security and prevent them from meeting the accused person.
Testimonial aids, such as screens and videoconferencing rooms, are also available.
human support
Perhaps more importantly, the establishment of support teams for alleged victims will make it possible to offer them personalized support. Specialized workers from the Crime Victims Assistance Center (CAVAC) and prosecutors will be assigned to the complainant, in order to adapt their support throughout the process and, above all, to avoid repeating their story. non-stop.
Training will be given to all stakeholders likely to intervene in the case, so as to support an alleged victim throughout the process, well before the filing of a complaint or charges. “As soon as a victim wants information, they knock on the door of a police force, not to file a complaint, but to find out: how should I proceed, I want to have information with the CAVAC, with the support organizations,” said Minister Jolin-Barrette.
However, he made it clear that the victims will not have privileged legal treatment. “The rules of law remain the same: the presumption of innocence; the right to remain silent; the right to full answer and defence. All that remains within the Court. No rights are taken away from people who are accused,” he said.
“What we are doing, however, is that we are providing victims with better tools so that they feel at ease in the legal process. »
Everywhere in Quebec in five years
Four other courthouses will see a pilot project launched in the coming weeks, namely those of Quebec, Granby, Drummondville and La Tuque. However, Minister Jolin-Barrette has specified that he wishes to add five other pilot projects, for a total of 10.
The choice of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield is easily explained. This courthouse handles an average of 1,000 cases of sexual violence or domestic violence per year. “This is the fifth largest volume in this area in Quebec,” said the Minister.
Quebec has set aside three years to evaluate these ten pilot projects and make the required adjustments, if necessary, for these pilot projects. Thereafter, it gives itself two years to establish these specialized courts in the rest of the 36 judicial districts of Quebec.