Victim Matters. Volume 4, Issue 6, July 2014

Welcome to the July/August Issue of Victim Matters,
A Publication of Victims of Violence.
IN THIS ISSUE…
VICTIMS VOICE:
Please share this publication with colleagues and friends, or have them sign-up
to receive it by emailing [email protected].

MY DAUGHTER - REHTAEH ANNE PARSONS - MEANT
EVERYTHING TO ME by Glen Canning …………………...1
LAYING DOWN THE LAW:
Victim Matters would not be possible without Funding from
The Department of Justice-Victims Fund.

TELLING THE TRUTH: THE USE OF TESTIMONIAL AIDS TO
HELP WITNESSES PROVIDE EVIDENCE............……...…..…3
EXPANDING THE HEADLINES:
Department of Justice
Canada
Ministère de la Justice
Canada

Views – expressed or implied – in Victim Matters are not
necessarily those of the Department of Justice.
REWARDS PROGRAMS: THE KEY TO SOLVING MANY
CANADIAN CRIMINAL CASES..................................4
SPOTLIGHT:

VICTIMS VOICE
SHEDDING LIGHT ON A HIDDEN CRIME: THE BC OFFICE
TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS………………...….6
RESPONDING TO WHAT MATTERS TO YOU
MY DAUGHTER - REHTAEH ANNE PARSONS MEANT EVERYTHING TO ME

RESTRICTIONS ON SEX OFFENDER RESIDENCY..................7
EXPLORING OTHER ISSUES

IS HEALING POSSIBLE AFTER A TRAGEDY?
By Heidi Illingworth...............................8
By Glen Canning
It’s difficult for me to write about my daughter without coming
across as angry and cynical. The truth is I am angry and cynical. My
daughter, Rehtaeh Parsons, was violated in November 2012. She was
violated again by an indifferent police investigation and it feels like
our family continues to be violated by a system more interested in
excuses than justice.
I don’t know how to tell this story anymore. I have more questions
than answers and it starts to sound like I’m selling a conspiracy. An
angry dad not wanting to see his daughter in bad light no matter what
the evidence says. I understand that’s how I might seem and I hope
whoever reads this just gives me the chance to explain why I’m angry,
hurt, and cynical.
In November 2012 my wife Krista and I were home alone, in bed
reading. It was past ten o’clock and we were about to call it a night
when the phone rang. It was Rehtaeh’s mom. She said she had the
worst news - as bad as I could ever imagine. She was wrong.
The worst news came a year and a half later in a hospital corridor.
The silence of that early morning let the doctors words echo in my
head and down the hall even though he barely spoke above a
whisper. “This is as grim as it gets,” he said, “She won’t recover.”
And with those few simple words my life would never be the same. I
learned at that time my precious daughter would not be a survivor,
she would be a victim. I would die with her in that bed. I would die
and walk out the door forever changed. I would no longer look
forward to sharing all she was going to do in life. She’s a story now.
Memories, pictures, dreams, glimpses of her in the city, and
brief moments when I forget she died and think of calling her.
My daughter - Rehtaeh Anne Parsons - meant everything to
me. She was my sunshine, my pride and joy. My only child. She
was the girl who reached through her pain and suffering to give
me the last words I would hear from her, “I love you dad.” She
said them the day before she decided her life was not worth
living anymore. She said those words in my car as I dropped her
off at her mom’s. I watched her walk into the house and I drove
away. Rehtaeh died April 7th, 2013. She killed herself.
The passage to her death was hell. I remember everything
about the week she was raped. Her mom’s voice, shaking,
telling me Rehtaeh was attacked the weekend before at the
home of some boys a new friend took her to. It was supposed
to be a sleep over. Something fun teenagers do. Something
safe and normal.
The following year was a nightmare. I can’t bring myself to say
living hell because there was no living about it. Hers was a
slow, painful death. We watched our caring, loving,
compassionate, and intelligent daughter turn into an
unrecognizable ghost. Bloody, scarred, angry, afraid, fixated on
death and suicide.
It seems unbelievable how this story unfolded. In brief, the
assault happened while she was throwing up from drinking too
much vodka and it continued into the next morning. Four boys
Continued on Page 2
Victims of Violence Canadian Centre for Missing Children
340-117 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5X3
1-888-606-0000
1
raped her. One of them took a photo of it with a cell phone. For the
next few days they spread around the story and the photo.
They said she was a slut. They openly admitted she was throwing
up sick while they had sex with her. Their description was graphic,
they held nothing back.
Later text messages sent to Rehtaeh would read, “Are you the slut
hanging out a window throwing up and getting f---ed?”
When Rehtaeh broke down and told her mom what happened the
police were called, then a crisis team, and the local sexual assault
centre. The assault centre was, and continues to be, amazing. The
police might as well as not bothered to pick up the phone at all.
For the officers involved with Rehtaeh’s case I can only look back
and wonder why? Why didn’t you do something? I see other
charges and cases for similar crimes and it’s so maddening. Why
didn’t you do that in my daughter's case? Why didn’t you care?
Most of the time you didn’t even offer us the courtesy of returning
our calls.
Rehtaeh hung herself in the bathroom of her mom’s house on
the evening of April 4th, 2013. She died alone, fighting the
demons to the end. We donated her organs as she would
have wanted. I had a letter arrive a few months ago from a 17
year old that now has the chance to live a full life thanks to
Rehtaeh’s heart. The letter ends with a promise that they’ll
take good care of it. Rehtaeh could have written it.
What happened after Rehtaeh died still seems surreal. Her
mom, Leah Parsons, went home from the hospital and wrote a
few words on Facebook about losing her daughter to bullies
and rapists. The story exploded and soon the boy in the photo
with Rehtaeh tried to call her. He wanted to explain what
happened. He said everyone is blaming him for her death.
He then reached out to her on Facebook. Leah told him she
has nothing to say to him and that if he wanted to he could
inbox her what happened. So he did. She screen captured his
long confession and forwarded it to the police and they reopened the case in light of “new and credible evidence” that
came forward.
A few months ago an officer involved with making training videos
for the Ontario Provincial Police interviewed me as part of a victims’
of crime series. He asked if there was anything I’d like officers to
know. There is and it’s simple — if at the end of your investigation if
you don’t believe you have enough evidence to lay charges we
would understand. We know nothing is perfect. We just would want
to know that you did everything you could. That you tried. That you
cared. As a police officer, victims and victims’ families shouldn't be
left with dozens of unanswered questions about what you did and
didn’t do.
The following week an officer sat in my living room and told
me the statement the boy made to Rehtaeh’s mother didn’t
tell them anything they didn’t already know. So based on that
they should have already known Rehtaeh was throwing up as
four boys had sex with her, that she had to be carried around
the house, that they took a photo of it and sent it to God
knows who, and that when they were finished they had to
dress her because she was unconscious. The police claimed
they already knew all of that.
It was and remains infuriating that the police told Rehtaeh there
wasn’t enough evidence to lay charges. We knew it would end that
way if the investigating officer didn’t bother to collect any. How else
could it end? At one point the officer told us not to tell her how to
do her investigation but we weren’t telling her anything of the sort.
We were wondering instead, why she wasn’t doing any
investigating at all.
And yet, they did nothing when it would have mattered. All of
what I just wrote is in that kids email along with his plea that
he’s “not a rapist.” Clearly, something is wrong here. The
police had a photograph of a rape in progress (and there is no
other way it can be interpreted), a confession, and, if they
wanted to put some effort into it, dozens of people who got
photo-text messages sent to them by two of the boys who say
it’s Rehtaeh in the picture.
They closed the case after almost a year. Few witnesses were
spoken too, no cell phones seized as evidence, no visits to Rehtaeh’s
school, not one of the four boys Rehtaeh said raped her — the ones
that openly bragged about having sex with her as she threw up —
were spoken to by police. Not one boy, during the entire year-long
investigation.
Instead it appeared the investigation was focused on Rehtaeh,
what she did, and what she said.
Does that seem right?
We did everything we could to save our daughter. She was in and
out of therapy. She spent five weeks in a youth mental health
centre. Moved in with me, away from the drama, but as it turned
out, not the photo or the story. A reporter later told us the photo
spread throughout the whole school district. Hundreds of people
ended up with it and probably still have it.
VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE
“VICTIM MATTERS”
The police later appeared on national television and said
there is no evidence to substantiate a charge of sexual assault.
Saying we were kicked when we were down really wouldn’t
do justice to how I felt reading the news a couple weeks after
Rehtaeh died. A National Post reporter claimed to have been
given access to and had first-hand knowledge of Rehtaeh’s
police file. A file we still can’t see. The reporter claimed her
source was close to the case and at first I thought it had to be
a cop. They were trying to defend themselves. But perhaps it
was a Crown Attorney, possibly the one who told the police
they weren’t going to proceed with charges.
Think about that. Someone in the justice system, linked to this
case, could have revealed confidential information about it.
What a disgusting violation of our trust. I will never have faith
Continued on Page 3
Volume 4, Issue 6, July/August 2014
2
in our justice system again.
The reporter's “source” claims that there was an independent
witness there that night and that the witness told the police the sex
was consensual. We wondered how that could be? Rehtaeh
remembers nothing so how could it have been consensual?
That article, and the source behind it, has caused me an
insurmountable amount of grief. Every time I read something about
Rehtaeh there it is, down in the comments sections, someone
writing about a witness saying Rehtaeh wasn’t raped. I’ve been
targeted online by trolls numerous times who say the same thing my daughter was a slut who made up a rape story.
Last December a local reporter from the Halifax Chronicle Herald
did an in-depth story about Rehtaeh and the case. Unlike the
National Post reporter they actually spoke to the witness who told
the police the sex was consensual. When they asked the girl what
happened she said that there was a woman in the house that night
and if someone was being raped there would have been screaming
and fighting, especially if it was by four people. The witness said the
woman didn’t wake up so Rehtaeh couldn’t have been raped, thus
the sex must have been consensual.
Is that why this case never went ahead? Does that explain why
nothing was done to bring our daughter justice while she was alive?
A case outcome predetermined based on a 15 year old witness with
no knowledge of what rape is or what consent means. A girlfriend
of one of the boys involved.
We’ve tried our best to do as much as we can during the past year
in making a difference for the future. I’ve talked to many people
about Rehtaeh and her heartbreaking story. We've spoken out
about rape culture, cyber bullying, the law, sexual assault, and even
weighed in on Bill C-13 [The Protecting Canadians from Online Crime
Act]. The Federal Government is going to pass a new law to address
the sharing of intimate images without consent.
Peace now eludes me. I’m not too big to admit I suffer and am in
pain. I will be for a long time I imagine. There are charges in the
case before the courts now. Two of the boys there that night are up
on child porn charges. We’re not sure why the first investigating
officer didn’t go that route. It’s the same photo. Again, more
questions than answers.
One of the two told me that if I didn’t shut up he’d kill me. He’s
being charged for that as well.
Once the charges are over Murray Segal, a respected attorney from
Ontario is going to launch a review of how the police handled this
case. We are eager to finally have some answers.
I want this nightmare too end, but I can’t wake up from it unless I
know I’ve done everything I can to prevent this from happening to
another family.
Rehtaeh would be graduating from high school this year. She
dreamed of university. 
LAYING DOWN THE LAW
TELLING THE TRUTH: THE USE OF
TESTIMONIAL AIDS TO HELP WITNESSES
PROVIDE EVIDENCE
Testimonial aids are special accommodations made for some
witnesses to help them testify in court, and ensure that are able
to give a complete and candid account of their evidence. As
victims are often called as witnesses, testimonial aids also help
to reduce re-victimization. The Criminal Code of Canada sets
out which aids and accommodations can be used and for whom
in Section 486. These provisions recognize that some witnesses
(particularly children under the age of 18 and adults with
physical or mental disabilities) may have difficultly telling their
stories, and testimonial aids and accommodations can help
them to feel more comfortable when doing so.
These aids and accommodations include:
1. Witness screens (s. 486.2(1)): A witness may testify
behind a screen in the court room, which allows them to
make their statements without having to see the accused.
2. Closed-circuit television (s. 486.2(1)): A witness may
testify outside of the court room via closed-circuit
television. The witness will communicate with the defence
lawyer, prosecutor, and other court personnel digitally
from a separate location. This testimonial aid is normally
reserved for child witnesses (less than 18 years of age)
and/or when the judge has serious safety concerns
regarding a witness (i.e. those who witnessed a crime
associated with a criminal organization or terrorism
offence).
3. Support person (s. 486.1(1)): A person of the witness’
choice may be permitted to be present and be close to the
witness while the witness testifies. The support person
cannot speak to the witness, and cannot be a witness
themselves.
4. The exclusion of the public from the courtroom (s.
486(2)): This accommodation may be ordered to ensure
that the interests of witnesses are safeguarded (i.e. their
privacy is protected), if the presence of people in the
gallery would inhibit a full and candid account of their
evidence, and/or to ensure the safety of all courtroom
personnel.
5. Publication bans (s. 486.4 (1)): An order can be made
directing that any information that could identify a witness
of any age shall not be published in any document or
broadcasted in any way. This accommodation is most
often made when the witness is
Continued On Page 4
VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE
“VICTIM MATTERS”
340-117 Centrepointe Drive Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5X3
1-888-606-0000
3
“THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT IF WE DID NOT
HAVE TESTIMONIAL AIDS THERE WOULD BE CASES
THAT COULD NOT PROCEED TO TRIAL. IF WE HAVE A
WITNESS THAT IS SO TRAUMATIZED, WE WOULD NOT
PROCEED WITHOUT TESTIMONIAL AIDS.”
-
Excerpt of an interview with a crown attorney conducted for the research paper
“Vulnerable Adult Witnesses” by Pamela Hurley.
the victims and is under the age of 18 years, and/or in
proceedings related to sexual offences.
6. Self represented accused to not cross examine a witness (s.
486.3(1)). This accommodation is most often used in cases of
sexual assault and criminal harassment, and/or where the
witness is under 18 years of age. With this accommodation, an
alternative counsel is appointed to cross examine the witness
where the accused person has chosen to represent him/herself,
and has been charged with one of the previously mentioned
crimes.
Most testimonial aids and accommodations are applied for
presumptively (automatically) when the witness is a child under the
age of 18 years, or in the case of an adult where the person has a
mental or physical disability. However, any other adult witness may
make an application at any time during court proceedings to use an
aid they feel is necessary for them to give a full account of their
evidence. The prosecutor, through a combination of their own
meetings with the witness, the input/recommendations of victim
services, and the review of police information, will make an
application for a testimonial aid on behalf of the witness if they
believe it is necessary. If you are a witness and would like to use a
testimonial aid, it is important to let the prosecutor of the case know
your concerns as far in advance as possible so that they can make an
application.
When making a decision about whether to allow a testimonial aid or
accommodation to be used, the presiding judge will take into account
the age of the witness, whether the witness has a mental or physical
disability, the nature and type of the offence, the nature of any
relationship between the witness and the accused, and any other
circumstance that the judge or justice considers relevant. Usually, the
prosecutor will also submit evidence in support of the witness using
the testimonial aid, such as a letter from a doctor or testimony from
police or victim service providers about their observations of the
witness, and the judge will consider this information as well.
The judge also has to take into account whether the use of the
testimonial aid would bring the administration of justice into
disrepute. In Canada, criminal proceedings are open to the public in
order to maintain transparency, and banning the public from the
courtroom, issuing a publication ban, or even using a screen can
impact this important pillar of the justice system. Likewise, the
accused has the right to see and hear all evidence presented against
him or her and to question all witnesses about their evidence against
them. The impact of not allowing a self-represented accused to
question a witness or having the witness testify out of the courtroom,
for example, must be weighed against these rights of the offender
when a judge makes a decision. Consequently, the accused will
also have the opportunity to oppose a witness’ application for a
testimonial aid, however this happens very rarely. 
To learn more about testimonial aids, please see The Centre for
Children and Families in the Justice System papers on testifying
in court at: www.lfcc.on.ca/full_and_candid_account.html.
You may also wish to review the following Department of
Justice research paper on the use of testimonial aids with
vulnerable adult witnesses at: www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cjjp/victim/rr13_15a/rr13_15a.pdf.
EXPANDING THE HEADLINES
REWARDS PROGRAMS: THE KEY TO
SOLVING MANY CANADIAN CRIMINAL
CASES
There are numerous programs in Canada that offer monetary
rewards for information leading to the conviction of criminal
offenders. Police credit the availability of monetary incentive
with bringing in key pieces of information to investigators in
many cases. In addition to being a tool for information,
rewards programs also serve to keep these cases in the public
spotlight, as well as show victims and their families that they
have not been forgotten. The different rewards programs
frequently make headlines, as the news media serves as an
important tool in disseminating information about the
availability of rewards offered in unsolved cases. Recent
headlines have highlighted new cases eligible for rewards as
well as rewards that have been increased in existing unsolved
cases.
The Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes program in Nova
Scotia made headlines in the spring of this year, when the
murder of Kevin Martin was added to the list of cases eligible
for reward. Thirteen-year-old Kevin went missing from his
Stellarton home in May 1994 and it was initially believed by
police that he was a runaway; however, the discovery of his
remains in November 2000 led police to conclude that he was
murdered. The Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes program
was founded in 2006 and offers a reward of up to $150,000 for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of person(s)
responsible for specific crimes. The cases are recommended to
the provincial justice department by local police agencies if
they feel the case could be moved forward with the reward as
an incentive for people to come forward. There are currently
Continued on Page 5
Victims of Violence Canadian Centre for Missing Children
“VICTIM MATTERS”
Volume 4, Issue 6, July/August 2014
4
THE CRIME STOPPERS TIP LINE IS STAFFED BY TRAINED PERSONNEL
WHO RECEIVE, PROCESS, AND PASS ON TIP INFORMATION TO
INVESTIGATING OFFICERS. CALLERS ARE GIVEN A CODE NUMBER WHICH IS
USED IN ALL SUBSEQUENT CALLS AND CALLERS DO NOT HAVE TO IDENTIFY
THEMSELVES.
A REWARD OF UP TO $2,000 IS OFFERED TO ANYONE PROVIDING INFORMATION
WHICH LEADS TO AN ARREST FOR A CRIME. REWARDS MAY ALSO BE MADE FOR
INFORMATION LEADING TO THE RECOVERY OF STOLEN PROPERTY, THE SEIZURE
OF ILLEGAL DRUGS OR AN ARREST ON AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT.
over 70 cases listed on the government’s website, now including
that of Kevin Martin, with the majority being homicides and missing
person’s cases. For Martin’s mother, she stated in a CTV News
interview (May 20, 2014), “I don’t know how they can live with
themselves, knowing what they’ve done to a little innocent boy that
didn’t deserve that.” She hopes that after the long, emotional
journey her family has gone through that the reward will encourage
someone to come forward with information pertaining to the case.
The Nova Scotia Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes program has
been successful in compelling several tipsters to come forward in the
last number of years. Police credit the program with being the
difference in solving the homicide of Melissa Peacock in 2012; the
key tip coming in to the hotline the same month the reward was
offered. Police also credit the program with leading to two other
murder charges in the deaths of Narico Downey and Ryan White.
When Downey’s July 2012 death was added to the program in
September of that year, a man was charged the following month.
White’s July 2010 death was added to the program in July 2012
resulting in arrests made the following month and official charges
laid in August 2013.
Similar to the Nova Scotia program, the Ontario Provincial Police
also offer rewards for information that leads to the conviction of an
offender, although to a smaller maximum amount of $50,000. In
June 2014 the unsolved hit-and-run death of Nancy Quick in Windsor
was added to the program with the full maximum reward offered.
Det. Insp. Dave Hillman of the OPP’s Criminal Investigative Branch
stated in a Windsor Star article (June 6, 2014) that the OPP never
closes the files of unsolved homicides, and that the investigation
team remains confident that someone holds information that will be
key to helping them solve this case for the victim and for her family
and friends. He hopes that the new monetary incentive will
encourage a member of the community to come forward with this
information.
The Nova Scotia and Ontario reward programs are the only
province-wide reward programs in Canada, however many municipal
police agencies have their own programs, usually funded by local
police commissioner boards. An example of a municipal reward
program that has made recent headlines is that of the Regina Police
Service (RPS). On June 25, 2014 with the ten year anniversary of the
disappearance of Tamra Keepness approaching, the RPS announced
the doubling of reward money offered for information in her case
from $25,000 to $50,000. Five-year-old Tamra went missing from her
family’s home in Regina July 5, 2004 sparking the largest search in
the city’s history, however she has never been found. Tamra’s father,
Troy Keepness, summarized to news media the importance of
reward programs to the families of victims, especially in cases
like his daughter’s where the person has been missing for
many years: “It means a lot. Tells me that the city police are
looking into this and it gives me hope.”
On a national level, most police agencies (including local and
provincial forces, as well as the RCMP) also partner with the
Canadian Crime Stoppers Association to offer rewards to
people who may have information on any number and variety
of cases, not just major crimes. Unlike the police or
government based programs already mentioned, Crime
Stoppers is a charitable agency and is funded by donations of
money, goods and services from the community. Since its
inception, Crime Stoppers has lead to over 189,000 arrests and
has seen almost 14 million dollars in rewards paid out to
tipsters. The maximum reward amount that can be offered to
tipsters through this program is $2,000 for information leading
to an arrest. While this is a lesser amount of money than other
programs offer, this program is unique in that tipsters are
allowed to remain anonymous, whereas with the other police
and government programs they may be required to present
themselves to the police or in court to provide information in
order to receive the reward.
Interestingly, it has also been recently reported in the media
that some police officials do not believe that it is the incentive
of money that brings forth tipsters, rather, it is the added
publicity that cases receive when a reward is offered. For
example, Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Graham Gibson stated to
The Star that rewards keep attention focused on cases and
offer comfort to victims’ families. Alternatively, Darlene Ross
of Crime Stoppers Toronto offered her explanation to The Star
that often rewards are not given out because people simply
call in tips in order to do the right thing, not necessarily for the
money.
Clearly the use of rewards programs, whether by providing a
greater incentive for tipsters to come forward, by keeping the
case alive in the media through announcements of rewards, or
to assure the families of victims that their loved one’s case has
not been forgotten, has been beneficial in both recent and
historical cases. As in the case of Kevin Martin, decades may
pass without families receiving closure and police labeling a
case solved. It is the hope of victims and criminal justice
officials that offering a monetary incentive will elicit
information that may otherwise have remained unknown.
Continued on Page 6
VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE
“VICTIM MATTERS”
340-117 Centrepointe Drive Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5X3
1-888-606-0000
5
Whether directly or indirectly leading to the resolution of a case,
the use of rewards programs has a positive effect for victims and
law enforcement alike. 
seeking protection and services in B.C. And finally, by lending
their expertise to local, national and international efforts to
prevent human trafficking.
For more information on Nova Scotia’s Rewards for Major Unsolved
Crimes program see: http://novascotia.ca/just/Public_Safety/Rewards/
Some of the specific activities that OCTIP takes part in include
assisting communities in developing local service networks
and community responses to human trafficking, developing
prevention-based education for youth about domestic human
trafficking, and negotiating the roles and responsibilities of
key community and government partners regarding human
trafficking responses. Perhaps their most important activities
are those related to increasing public knowledge of human
trafficking, however. As OCTIP’s Program and Research
Analyst Victor Porter explained, one of the key challenges that
OCTIP has faced is “raising awareness of human trafficking,
because people believe that human trafficking is something
that happens far away in other countries. Connecting it to
British Colombia and a Canadian reality is very difficult.”
For an interview with the family of Kevin Martin see:
http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/mother-still-searching-for-answers-20-yearsafter-son-s-murder-1.1829980
For more information on Nancy Quick’s case see:
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2014/06/06/opp-offers-50000-reward-inunsolved-nancy-quick-murder/
For more information on the Tamra Keepness case see:
http://cjme.com/story/regina-police-double-reward-tamra-keepnesscase/376123 and http://www.reginapolice.ca/2014/06/police-boarddoubles-reward-in-tamra-keepness-case/
SPOTLIGHT
SHEDDING LIGHT ON A HIDDEN CRIME:
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA OFFICE TO
COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
In 2005, the RCMP in B.C. requested assistance from the provincial
Ministry of Justice to respond to cases of human trafficking, after the
new Criminal Code offences regarding human trafficking were
brought into force earlier that year. Around the same time the U.S.
State Department in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report (known
as the US TIP Report) identified the city of Vancouver as a port of
major concern for trafficking situations. Both of these events lead to
the establishment of the British Columbia Office to Combat
Trafficking in Persons (OCTIP) in July of 2007. Soon after,
consultations with front line service providers, community
organizations and shelter providers confirmed that human trafficking
was a growing issue in BC.
OCTIP is unique in that it is the only provincial government office of
its kind in Canada. The mandate of this office is to develop and
coordinate British Columbia's response to domestic and international
human trafficking. To do this, OCTIP follows the 4-P’s approach
outlined in the UN’s Trafficking in Persons Protocol that guides
countries efforts around the world to combat human trafficking. The
Protocol identifies that implementing an effective response to human
trafficking requires the prevention of human trafficking, protection of
victims, prosecution of offenders, and partnerships with relevant
stakeholders. Generally, the office meets these goals in three ways.
First, by coordinating services for trafficked persons in British
Columbia with key stakeholders such as RCMP, Citizenship and
Immigration Canada, Canada Border Services Agency and Public
Safety Canada, as well as many community based and aboriginal
organizations. Second, by identifying gaps and barriers present in
local communities that trafficked persons may encounter when
Perhaps equally as important is raising awareness among
relevant service providers and stakeholders, and educating
them on how to best respond to situations of human
trafficking. OCTIP does this in two main ways: through an
online training course called “Human Trafficking: Canada Is
Not Immune,” and through Train the Trainer events in local
communities.
The online training program is available for free on OCTIP’s
website and is organized into four modules: 1) Defining
human trafficking, which discusses what trafficking is, how it is
perpetrated, why it is perpetrated, and why victims continue
to stay with perpetrators; 2) Canada’s response to human
trafficking, which includes information on the Canadian and
British Columbian Action Plans to Combat Human Trafficking,
the Manitoba Sexual Exploitation Strategy, and the various
laws contained in the Criminal Code and Immigration and
Refugee Protection Act regarding this offence; 3) How to
recognize a trafficked person, which illustrates a number of
“red flag” indicators that service providers should watch for;
and 4) How to help a trafficked person, which includes
information on how to illicit information from a trafficked
person and decipher which needs they may have. This training
is promoted under the federal government’s National Action
Plan to Combat Human Trafficking as the key way to train first
responders and service providers on how to both recognize
human trafficking situations and provide culturally
appropriate care to victims. The training course was recently
updated, with the 2nd edition launched on April 14th, 2014.
This course is the cornerstone of OCTIP’s commitment to
helping trafficked persons and providing information to
service providers.
OCTIP’s Train the Trainer events have recently occurred in
two communities: Prince George and Williams Lake. Four
more are going to be conducted this spring and fall in
Northern B.C. communities, including Quesnel, Saulteau
Continued on Page 7
“VICTIM MATTERS”
A Publication of Victims of Violence
WWW.VICTIMSOFVIOLENCE.ON.CA
1-888-606-0000
6
“ALL OF OUR EFFORTS HAVE HAD ONE CENTRAL FOCUS- THE
TRAFFICKED PERSON. THE OCTIP’S HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK
PUTS THE NEEDS OF THE TRAFFICKED PERSON AT THE CENTRE
OF ALL THAT WE DO. WE HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ENSURE
THAT TRAFFICKED PERSONS ARE PROVIDED WITH THE DIGNITY
AND RESPECT THEY DESERVE, AS WELL AS THE SERVICES THAT
WILL ENABLE THEM TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES.”
-
Robin Pike, first Executive Director of OCTIP
First Nation, Prince Rupert, and in the Nisga’a community of New
Aiyansh. Analyst Victor Porter explained that these projects are
two-day training events presented to various community leaders
(particularly, aboriginal service providers, nurses, social workers,
youth workers and police) that provide information and skills on
how they can decipher if someone has been a victim of human
trafficking, how to help them, how trafficking looks in their
particular region, identifies capacities in the community, and draws
attention to services and resources that the community may be
missing in order to respond to cases of human trafficking.
Importantly, these projects also specifically look at the vulnerability
of Aboriginal Peoples in the community, and OCTIP works with local
community organizers to address those risk factors. Aboriginal
people face unique vulnerabilities to human trafficking due to
colonization, racism, the legacy of residential schools and extreme
poverty.
Also as part of their awareness raising and training efforts, on
March 5th, 2014, in collaboration with West Coast Domestic
Workers Association and the International Centre for Criminal Law
Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, OCTIP completed a project that
helped them to further their work in the area of protecting
vulnerable workers. On this day, the organizations ended their
“Preventing Labour Exploitation and Trafficking of Live-inCaregivers” project, which had been a yearlong undertaking to
provide legal education to more than 200 live in caregivers and
service providers in 14 B.C. communities. In addition to discussing
ideas for preventing the trafficking of live-in-caregivers, the project
also resulted in recommendations on how British Columbia could
address the broader issue of labour trafficking, particularly regarding
how to increase the number of investigations and successful
conviction or perpetrators.
These projects are just a small sample of the work that OCTIP has
completed over the last seven years to address human trafficking in
BC. In the future, analyst Victor Porter stated that OCTIP plans to
continue to implement the B.C. Action Plan to Combat Human
Trafficking. Porter states that “while much progress has been made
in the coordination of services when a trafficked person emerges,
this is something that still needs to be improved.”
To date, OCTIP’s success and positive impact can been seen in the
fact that it has assisted in more than 200 cases involving trafficked
persons since 2007, and in the last year has received almost forty
trafficking related phone calls on its toll free, 24 hour assistance line.
OCTIP’s integrated response to human trafficking in B.C. and has
contributed greatly to Canada’s wider response to this grave breach
of human rights. 
For more information on OCTIP, please visit their website at:
www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/octip/about.htm.
To view and take part in their online training course, please visit:
http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/octiptraining/index.html.
For assistance with coordination of services in BC 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week please contact the OCTIP help line at:
1-888-712-7974. OCTIP staff can also be reached during
regular office hours at: 604-660-5199.
“THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE
PROVINCE WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, SUCH AS
THOSE OF RURAL, REMOTE, ABORIGINAL, AND URBAN
COMMUNITIES IN EFFORTS TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN BC. OCTIP WILL TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT ITS PROVINCE-WIDE MANDATE WHEN
DEVELOPING RESPONSES TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.”
–
One of Ten Guiding Principles of BC’s Plan to
Combat Human Trafficking.
RESPONDING TO WHAT
MATTERS TO YOU
Q:
Are residents notified when a sex offender is
living in close proximity to them? What if
they have children?
– Marie from Halifax, NS
A: RESTRICTIONS ON SEX OFFENDER RESIDENCY
Upon release from a correctional facility, sexual offenders can
be restricted from living close to (i.e. within 1000m) areas
where children are likely to be found. These areas include
those such as schools, parks, or daycares. However, unless
there is a very specific concern about a particular individual or
family, a sex offender cannot be prohibited from living in a
home or apartment complex where families with children may
live.
In some cases, when an offender is going to be released, the
public may be notified of their release if the police and
correctional services feel that the person poses a significant
risk to the community. Generally, the type of information that
the police can disclose to the public in these situations
includes a picture of the offender, their name, their past
Continued on Page 8
Victims of Violence
www.victimsofviolence.on.ca
“VICTIM MATTERS”
Volume 4, Issue 6, July/August 2014
7
“PERSONS CONVICTED OF A SEX OFFENCE ARE OBLIGATED
TO REGISTER [WITH THE NATIONAL SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY]
WITHIN 7 DAYS OF CONVICTION AND/OR RELEASE FROM A
CUSTODIAL INSTITUTION. THEY MUST RE-REGISTER OR NOTIFY
THEIR LOCAL REGISTRATION CENTRE ANNUALLY AND EVERY
TIME THEY CHANGE ADDRESSES OR LEGAL NAME.”
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Sex Offender Registry
offences, the area where the offender is expected to reside, the
type of person who is at risk from the offender (ex. adult females,
children), and any other information necessary for public safety.
These notifications are meant to ensure that all residents in a
specific area are able to take suitable measures to protect
themselves, and are not meant to encourage vigilante actions or
other activity against the identified person(s). These notifications are
only made when a specific safety concern has been identified; a
notification will not be made in all cases for all sexual offenders who
are released. In Canada, the public does not have access to
information about all sex offenders on provincial or federal
registries. 

For general information about the release of offenders, please visit:
www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/crrctns/protctn-gnst-hgh-rskffndrs/faq-eng.aspx
Have a question you’d like to see answered in the next issue?
Email us at: [email protected].
you can do to help someone in your community who may be
struggling:
1. Be there. Some people think that those who experience
trauma need space to sort things through. Assume the
opposite. Most people need others to be present. Being
there for someone, even if they are an acquaintance, is
powerful and appreciated. Don’t be afraid or let your own
busy life get in the way.
2. Don’t compare losses. Although it is natural to try and
offer words of comfort to someone, it is not helpful to
compare traumas. Losing someone in a traumatic event is
not the same as losing a much loved pet or someone who is
elderly and has lived a full life.
3. Offer practical assistance. Non-verbal expressions of love
are healing. Bringing food or helping with household chores
are simple, kind gestures that will be appreciated and
remembered.
4. Do not say “you will get over it”. In a traumatic loss, there
is no such thing as closure or getting over it. People have to
learn to cope without a treasured loved one in their lives – it
is a new normal and it takes time to heal.
EXPLORING OTHER ISSUES:
IS HEALING POSSIBLE AFTER A TRAGEDY?
By Heidi Illingworth
The community of Nanaimo, BC is reeling following a shooting on
April 30th at a sawmill. Kevin Douglas Addison has been charged
with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of
attempted murder for the attack that took place where he used to
work. Earlier this month, Kaiti Perras, 23, Josh Hunter, 23,
Zackariah Rathwell, 21, Jordan Segura, 22, and Lawrence Hong, 27,
were fatally stabbed at a house where they were celebrating the
last day of classes at the University of Calgary.
When tragedy strikes in communities across Canada citizens suffer
a traumatic loss. Grief after a traumatic event is a lifelong journey
that transforms someone. Each person goes through the process
in a different way and in their own time. There are challenges
along the way that can disrupt the healing process, or provide
strength and a pathway to move forward. The support of family,
friends and acquaintances is critical as people cope with loss and
try to create new meaning in their lives. There are simple things
5. Listen & offer long-term support. Individuals and families
who experience traumatic loss will be dealing with it for the
rest of their lives. Let them know you are here for them
now and in the future. Offering compassion and active
listening are key.
As human beings, we have a tendency to want to solve
problems and repair brokenness. Yet, what people need most
in the aftermath of tragedy is someone to be there with them.
People who are suffering need to have control over their lives
and the ability to make choices. Being there for someone who
is in pain is difficult, but your presence will show them they are
not alone and that they have support as they move toward
healing and recovery. 
Heidi Illingworth is the full-time Executive Director of the Canadian
Resource Centre for Victims of Crime. Since 1993, the Canadian
Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (CRCVC) has been a leader in
advocacy for victims and survivors of serious crime in Canada. For
more information about Heidi or the CRCVC, please visit
http://crcvc.ca/.
Continued on Page 10
Continued on Page 9
Victims of Violence
www.victimsofviolence.on.ca
“VICTIM MATTERS”
Volume 4, Issue 6, July/August 2014
8
“RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN THE COMMUNITY
CAN RESULT IN BETTER OUTCOMES, LOWER
REOFFENCE RATES AND GREATER CONFIDENCE
OF VICTIMS”
-
Justice Minister Andrew Swan
MANITOBA EMBRACES AN ALTERNATIVE
APPROACH TO DEALING WITH VICTIMS
AND OFFENDERS
The government of Manitoba has recently introduced legislation
which would enhance restorative justice and community-based
solutions in the province. The provincial Justice Minister, Andrew
Swan, stated that Manitoba is seeking to create a balanced approach
to increase public safety and reduce crime. The intention of the
Restorative Justice Act is to provide a framework to further develop
restorative justice programs and increase their use for adult and
young offenders across the province. Also included in the Act is an
instruction to create a Restorative Justice Advisory Council to provide
advice and expertise to the Justice Minister about the development of
effective restorative justice programs.
Restorative justice provides a way for offenders to be dealt with
outside of the traditional court system. The goal is to repair harm that
has been caused and make amends to the victim and the community
by working with community representatives and whenever possible,
the victims of the crimes. Restorative justice also helps the offender
identify the root causes of their behaviour and then allows them to
address the personal risk factors that may cause them to re-offend.
Justice Minister Swan noted that public safety is enhanced through
restorative justice processes because it has been shown to decrease
offender recidivism. He also indicated that the use of restorative
COMMENTS OR FEED BACK? IDEAS?
We encourage you to send us your thoughts to:
[email protected]
TELL YOUR STORY: Make a submission for
“VICTIMS VOICE”
justice would help support a more effective justice system in
Manitoba as these cases would be handled in the community
outside of the traditional court process. The diversion of some
cases away from the court system frees up resources to be
used for those cases which are more pressing to public safety
and would also assist in reducing over-crowding in correctional
facilities.
There are currently several programs that provide an
alternative to the traditional court system available in
Manitoba. These programs will be enhanced and utilized as
part of new legislation. They include: mediation services;
Onashowewin, a community-based, non-profit organization
dedicated to establishing restorative and holistic approaches
for achieving justice; Salvation Army programs; the Prostitution
Diversion Program; FireStop; and community justice
committees that work directly with offenders. 
For more information on Bill 60 - The Restorative Justice Act
please see: https://web2.gov.mb.ca/bills/40-3/b060e.php
“This Bill promotes the development and use of restorative justice
programs in Manitoba. It requires the Department of Justice to develop
policies respecting the use of restorative justice programs. It establishes an
advisory council that includes people with expertise in the study of
restorative justice as well as those with experience in delivering restorative
justice programs, counselling or treatment programs or other social
services. The advisory council will provide advice to the government on the
design and implementation of restorative justice programs.” (Explanatory Note)
LINKS OF INTEREST

www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/pcvi-cpcv/index.html

VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE
340 – 117 CENTREPOINTE DRIVE,
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
K2G 5X3
“Go Paperless” If you have received this publication in paper format and would prefer to
receive it by e-mail, please send us a quick e-mail to the address above.
“VICTIM MATTERS”
A Publication of Victims of Violence
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
www.justice.gc.ca

FEDERAL OMBUDSMAN FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME
www.victimsfirst.gc.ca
Have a question?
E-mail us and have it answered in the next issue.
POLICY CENTRE FOR VICTIM ISSUES

BC OFFICE TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/octip/about.htm

THE CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
www.lfcc.on.ca/index.htm
Volume 4, Issue 6, July/August 2014
9