Quebec will spend more than $462 million over five years to counter sexual and domestic violence, in particular by bringing four women’s shelters out of the ground. The government thus wishes to put on track 166 of the 190 recommendations of the report rebuild trust in violence prevention.
A year after the publication of the transpartisan report, drawn up by experts and elected women from the four parliamentary groups, 120 of the 190 recommendations were “under construction”, or 63%. For the next five years, the government is committing to paying $462.4 million to accelerate the pace. Ultimately, the “Integrated Government Strategy to Counter Sexual Violence, Domestic Violence and Rebuilding Trust 2022-2027” will allow the implementation of 166 of the report’s 190 recommendations.
“This is a new strategy that consolidates the government’s response to the report,” Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Isabelle Charest, said Monday in Quebec.
“There are 24 recommendations left that we are working on, agreed the elected representative of the Coalition avenir Québec. Some require work with the judiciary. […] It is not a strategy that is firm, that is final, but rather that is still evolving. » Of the 190 recommendations of rebuild trust“nothing has been ruled out”, assures Mme Charest.
new houses
In reality, of the 462.4 million provided for in the strategy, 324.9 million constitute new sums. The rest has already been committed or announced. The lion’s share of the investments must be used to set up new shelters, to support people “who want to get out of prostitution” and to improve the funding provided to local organizations.
The new residences for abused people – four in total – will be established in Montreal, Outaouais and Abitibi-Témiscamingue, regions that “have more needs”, according to Isabelle Charest.
“We are talking about four houses. Of course, this is not enough, said Monday Louise Riendeau, co-responsible for political files at the Regrouping of houses for women victims of domestic violence. But we are also told about a committee with several departments that will continue to look at this problem. »
There are currently “one hundred” shelters across Quebec, according to the Regroupement. And the sums provided for in the last Quebec budget have not yet all been sent to the field.
“We remain confident, but certainly we will call again if [elles tardent encore] “, added M.me Riendeau.
To counter sexual violence more specifically, the government strategy aims in particular to recruit police officers trained in the matter and to increase the training sessions offered. Quebec also wants to launch a tool for assessing the risk of violence, which police forces could access.
The government also undertakes to “study the use of restorative justice” in the Quebec justice system.