Fact sheet: Prince Edward Island

Victims of police-reported violent crime in Prince Edward Island, 2023

In 2023, police services in Prince Edward Island reported 1,984 victims of violent crime and traffic offences causing death or bodily harm (Table 3.1). This represented 1,154 victims per 100,000 population, which was lower than the national rate (1,207 per 100,000).^{Footnote 20}
Most (77%) victims were adults aged 18 and older;^{Footnote 21} 38% of all victims were aged 25 to 44 years, representing the largest proportion of any age group (Table 3.1). Meanwhile, 17% of victims were youth aged 12 to 17 years, and 6% were children aged 11 years and younger. The rate of victims was highest among youth aged 12 to 17 years (2,998 per 100,000 population), followed by young adults aged 18 to 24 years (1,844 per 100,000) and adults aged 25 to 44 years (1,687 per 100,000).^{Footnote 22}
Six in ten victims (60%) of police-reported violent crime in 2023 were victims of assault.^{Footnote 23} Assault victims accounted for the majority (64%) of adult victims aged 18 years and older, and 44% of child and youth victims aged 17 years and younger.
The second most commonly reported offence was “other violent violations” which accounted for three in 10 victims (30%).^{Footnote 24} This category includes offences such as robbery, extortion, and uttering threats, among other violent crimes.
Overall, 7% of police-reported victims of violent crime in Prince Edward Island in 2023 were victims of sexual assault. Adults aged 18 years and older accounted for more than half (56%) of sexual assault victims. However, youth aged 12 to 17 years made up more than one-third (37%) of all sexual assault victims. A small number (8%) were children aged 11 years and younger (Table 3.1)
Children aged 11 years and younger represented the majority of victims (60%) of sexual violations against children, and 40% were youth aged 12 to 17 years (Table 3.1).
While just over half (54%) of police-reported victims of violent crime were female, they represented much larger proportions of victims of sexual offences (84%) and sexual violations against children (77%) (Table 3.2).
The majority (60%) of victims of homicide, attempted murder and other violations causing death were male, and more than half (55%) of victims of traffic violations causing death or bodily harm were male (Table 3.2).
Male and female victims of police-reported sexual assault differed by age. Unlike most other jurisdictions, the majority (62%) of male sexual assault victims were adults aged 18 years and older, while more than half (55%) of female sexual assault victims were adults.^{Footnote 25}
Compared to female victims, sexual offences were less common among male children and youth aged 17 years and younger, as 4% were victims of sexual assault and 6% were victims of sexual violations against children (19% and 16%, respectively, among female victims).^{Footnote 26} However, assault was more commonly reported among male child and youth victims (51%) than female child and youth victims (39%).

Victim services in Prince Edward Island

In Prince Edward Island (PEI), the Department of Justice and Public Safety Victim Services offers a system-based program that assists victims of crime throughout their involvement in the criminal justice system, providing a range of services including Criminal Injuries Compensation, Clinical Mental Health Counselling, and Independent Legal Representation. In addition, some specialized programs and services for victims are delivered by non-governmental organizations with government funding. Such services include two Emergency Shelters, Outreach Services, the PEI Rape and Sexual Assault Centre, and the Family Information Liaison Unit (FILU), which supports and assists families of missing or murdered Indigenous women and girls.

The information provided below reflects data on victims referred to the provincial Victim Services Program only.

In 2023, the Prince Edward Island Victim Services Program assisted 1,359 victims of crime referred in the same year. This includes three victims which were businesses.
Children and youth accounted for 10% of victims assisted by the program. The largest proportion of victims served were between the ages of 18 to 40 years (45%).
Over two-thirds (68%) of newly referred clients were female; 31% were male.
Of all victims who received services, 35% were victims of intra-familial physical assault, and another 9% were victims of sexual assault.
The provincial Victim Services Program provided additional support to five families receiving assistance from the Family Information Liaison Unit (FILU) regarding a missing or murdered Indigenous woman/girl.
In 2023, Prince Edward Island Victim Services assisted with the preparation and filing of 120 Victim Impact Statements to the Court.

Detailed data tables

Table 3.1: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Prince Edward Island, 2023

Table 3.1: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Prince Edward Island, 2023
Type of violation	Total victims, all ages		Child and youth victims				Adult victims
	Total victims, all ages		11 years and younger		12 to 17 years		18 to 24 years		25 to 44 years		45 to 64 years		65 years and older
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder	5	100%	0	0	2	40.0%	1	20.0%	1	20.0%	1	20.0%	0	0
Sexual assaults	143	100%	10	7.1%	52	37.1%	34	24.3%	29	20.7%	13	9.3%	2	1.4%
Sexual violations against children	53	100%	32	60.4%	21	39.6%	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Assaults	1,185	100%	57	4.8%	143	12.1%	203	17.2%	497	42.1%	220	18.6%	61	5.2%
Other violent violations	587	100%	25	4.3%	110	18.7%	90	15.3%	218	37.1%	120	20.4%	24	4.1%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm	11	100%	0	0	3	27.3%	5	45.5%	2	18.2%	1	9.1%	0	0
Total violent violations	1,984	100%	124	6.3%	331	16.7%	333	16.8%	747	37.8%	355	18.0%	87	4.4%
Table 3.1 footnotes Notes of table 3.1 Notes: Sexual violations against children include historical cases reported by victims as adults. Percentages were calculated by excluding victims whose age was unknown from the total number of victims in the denominator. Please use caution when interpreting findings for categories with less than 10 victims. Source of table 3.1 Source: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Table 3.2: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and sex, Prince Edward Island, 2023

Table 3.2: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and sex, Prince Edward Island, 2023
Type of violation	Total victims		Female victims		Male victims
Type of violation	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder	5	100%	2	40.0%	3	60.0%
Sexual assaults	143	100%	112	84.2%	21	15.8%
Sexual violations against children	53	100%	41	77.4%	12	22.6%
Assaults	1,185	100%	592	50.6%	579	49.4%
Other violent violations	587	100%	301	51.4%	285	48.6%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm	11	100%	5	45.5%	6	54.5%
Total violent violations	1,984	100%	1,053	53.8%	906	46.2%
Table 3.2 footnotes Notes of table 3.2 Notes: Sexual violations against children include historical cases reported by victims as adults. Percentages were calculated by excluding victims whose age was unknown from the total number of victims in the denominator. Please use caution when interpreting findings for categories with less than 10 victims. Source of table 3.2 Source: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Table 3.3: Number and percentage of female victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Prince Edward Island, 2023

Table 3.3: Number and percentage of female victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Prince Edward Island, 2023
Type of violation	Female victims, all ages		Female child and youth victims				Female adult victims
	Female victims, all ages		11 years and younger		12 to 17 years		18 to 24 years		25 to 44 years		45 to 64 years		65 years and older
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder	2	100%	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	50.0%	1	50.0%	0	0
Sexual assaults	112	100%	5	4.5%	45	40.2%	27	24.1%	26	23.2%	7	6.3%	2	1.8%
Sexual violations against children	41	100%	21	51.2%	20	48.8%	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Assaults	592	100%	26	4.4%	73	12.4%	111	18.8%	262	44.3%	89	15.1%	30	5.1%
Other violent violations	301	100%	12	4.0%	55	18.3%	44	14.6%	127	42.2%	53	17.6%	10	3.3%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm	5	100%	0	0	0	0	3	60.0%	1	20.0%	1	20.0%	0	0
Total violent violations	1,053	100%	64	6.1%	193	18.3%	185	17.6%	417	39.6%	151	14.4%	42	4.0%
Table 3.3 footnotes Notes of table 3.3 Notes: Sexual violations against children include historical cases reported by victims as adults. Percentages were calculated by excluding victims whose age was unknown from the total number of victims in the denominator. Please use caution when interpreting findings for categories with less than 10 victims. Source of table 3.3 Source: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Table 3.4: Number and percentage of male victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Prince Edward Island, 2023

Table 3.4: Number and percentage of male victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Prince Edward Island, 2023
Type of violation	Male victims, all ages		Male child and youth victims				Male adult victims
	Male victims, all ages		11 years and younger		12 to 17 years		18 to 24 years		25 to 44 years		45 to 64 years		65 years and older
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder	3	100%	0	0	2	66.7%	1	33.3%	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sexual assaults	21	100%	2	9.5%	6	28.6%	6	28.6%	2	9.5%	5	23.8%	0	0
Sexual violations against children	12	100%	11	91.7%	1	8.3%	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Assaults	579	100%	29	5.0%	69	11.9%	89	15.4%	231	39.9%	130	22.5%	31	5.4%
Other violent violations	285	100%	13	4.6%	55	19.3%	46	16.1%	90	31.6%	67	23.5%	14	4.9%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm	6	100%	0	0	3	50.0%	2	33.3%	1	16.7%	0	0	0	0
Total violent violations	906	100%	55	6.1%	136	15.0%	144	15.9%	324	35.8%	202	22.3%	45	5.0%
Table 3.4 footnotes Notes of table 3.4 Notes: Sexual violations against children include historical cases reported by victims as adults. Percentages were calculated by excluding victims whose age was unknown from the total number of victims in the denominator. Please use caution when interpreting findings for categories with less than 10 victims. Source of table 3.4 Source: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Footnotes

Footnote 20

Rates are from a custom tabulation of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey by Statistics Canada, the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics.

Return to footnote 20 referrer

Footnote 21

Calculations based on Table 3.1.

Return to footnote 21 referrer

Footnote 22

Rates are from a custom tabulation of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey by Statistics Canada, the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics.

Return to footnote 22 referrer

Footnote 23

Calculations based on Table 3.1.

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Footnote 24

Ibid.

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Footnote 25

Calculations based on Tables 3.3 and 3.4.

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Footnote 26