GOVERNMENT OF CANADA TAKING ACTION TO HELP VICTIMS OF CRIME

MONTRÉAL, January 24, 2013 – The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced $1.2 million over three years in funding for the Centre d'expertise Marie-Vincent in Montréal to undertake projects that will serve victims of sexual abuse. The funding comes from the Department of Justice Canada and from Status of Women Canada.

"Our Government remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting Canadians so that our communities are safe places to live, work and raise families," said Minister Nicholson. "These projects will ensure that victims and their families have access to high-quality programs and services."

The funding is being provided as follows:

• $350,000 from the Department of Justice Canada for the Centre to offer more and improved services to young children in Montréal and the surrounding area who have experienced sexual abuse.
• $223,905 from Status of Women Canada for the Centre to support women whose daughters have been victimized.
• $630,074 from the Government of Canada ($380,074 from Status of Women Canada and $250,000 from the Department of Justice) for the Centre to strengthen the knowledge base of Aboriginal service providers so they can better address the issue of the sexual assault of girls.

"Our Government is taking action to end violence against children in communities across Canada," said the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women. "We are proud to support projects like these that help children and families who have been victims of sexual abuse."

"Given the many needs of young victims of sexual abuse, we welcome all funding support to help them," said Lucie Joyal, Executive Director of the Centre d'expertise de Marie-Vincent.

The Department of Justice is providing funding through the Victims Fund. Funds are available to provinces, territories and non-governmental organizations for programs and services that give victims of crime a more effective voice in the criminal justice system. The Government of Canada has allocated more than $90 million over the past six years for initiatives that benefit victims of crime, including funding for provincial and territorial government programs.

Since 2007, through the Women's Program, Status of Women Canada has approved more than $54 million for projects that seek to address violence against women and girls. The Government's support for community-based projects has nearly doubled since 2006-2007, from $10.8 million to close to $19 million, its highest level ever.

• Backgrounder: Status of Women Canada: Women's Program
• Backgrounder: Child Advocacy Centres
• Backgrounder: Federal Victims Strategy and Victims Fund

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Ref.:

• Julie Di Mambro
  Press Secretary
  Office of the Minister of Justice
  613-992-4621
  
  
• Media Relations
  Department of Justice
  613-957-4207