BCIFV home > Media Release > June 24, 2002

For Immediate Release: June 24, 2002
Contact: Penny Bain, phone: 604-669-7055 or 1 877-755-7055 or
pbain@bcifv.org or www.bcifv.org

Media Release: BC Government Cuts Hurt Victims of Violence Against Women.

Proposed changes to Ministry of Attorney-General policy and to Solicitor General funded community based victim services will make life more dangerous for women in violent relationships and women who experience sexual assault.

For 20 years BC has had one of the toughest prosecution policies in the country: Crown prosecutors are required to file charges in virtually every spousal assault case for which there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction. Yet the Attorney-General has announced a review of this policy to allow Crown the discretion to divert, rather than prosecute, spousal assault cases.

The Solicitor General has also announced cuts to 35 of 69 community based victim services programs, the greatest impact falling on sexual assault and child abuse support services. Fewer women and children will receive assistance from local crisis lines, sexual assault counselling services, court and hospital accompaniments and referrals.

Research supports the need for pro-arrest and pro-prosecution policies in order to ensure that the overworked justice system does an effective job of protecting victims, says Penny Bain, Executive Director of the BC Institute Against Family Violence. This change in policy will mean that fewer abusers will be subject to prosecution and conviction, and fewer abusers will have a criminal record on which Crown can assess the seriousness of future assaults.

As well, fewer abused women and their children will have the benefit of protective orders, including orders that their abusers attend assaultive men 's treatment programs, and fewer abused women will be able to use criminal proceedings to establish entitlement for legal aid in civil proceedings, including applications for restraining orders, custody orders, and supervised access orders.

"Together with recent cuts to family law legal aid and to sexual assault services, this policy change will greatly increase the risk of harm to women and their children who experience violence in BC," says Bain. "Victims of violence against women should not be further victimized by a Government more interested in balancing its budget than in ensuring that women and children in BC have access to justice."

For more information, contact Penny Bain, Executive Director of the BC Institute Against Family Violence at 669-7055 or
1 877-755-7055, pbain@bcifv.org or www.bcifv.org.

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