Backgrounder

May 31, 2004

VICTIMS' JUSTICE FUND

The government is providing $1.6 million from the Victims' Justice Fund to 18 community-based agencies. The grants will be used to provide programs and services to victims of sexual assault and sexual violence. Money for the Victims' Justice Fund is collected through a provincial victim surcharge, which is applied to all fines under the Provincial Offences Act (except parking violations). Federal fine surcharge revenues are also collected for this fund. Money collected through the victim fine surcharge is solely dedicated to providing services for victims.

GRANT RECIPIENTS

Toronto

• Toronto Child Abuse Centre to receive $180,000 over three years to provide services for children who are victims of sexual abuse.
• Save the Children to receive $169,000 over two years to raise awareness about commercial sexual exploitation of children.
• Native Men's Residence to receive $119,880 over three years to provide counselling for homeless aboriginal and non-aboriginal youth who are victims of sexual abuse.
• Alpha House to receive $20,000 to provide counselling and workshops for male sexual abuse survivors.
• Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres to receive $151,000 over three years to develop a best practices and training manual for member centres.
• Central Agencies Sexual Abuse Treatment Program to receive $48,200 to develop handbooks for parents, caregivers and youth victims of sexual violence.
• Vision Africana to receive $20,000 to provide workshops to victims of sexual assault.

East

• Sexual Assault Support Services for Women of Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry and Akwesasne to receive $200,000 over three years to raise awareness and improve services for victims of sexual violence.
• Action Ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes to receive $200,000 over three years to raise awareness regarding the services that are available to francophone women living in violent situations.
• Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre to receive $124,365 over two years to enhance community services for victims sexual violence.
• Sexual Assault Centre for Quinte and District to receive $13,150 to develop a community response program to provide immediate emotional support for male and female victims of sexual assault.

West

• Sexual Assault Survivors' Centre - Sarnia-Lambton to receive $200,000 over three years to better address the needs of victims of sexual assault/abuse who are also mentally ill.

Central West

• Halton Sexual and Domestic Violence Collaborative to receive $37,948 over two years to enhance the Halton Community Response Protocols for sexual assault and domestic violence, train frontline workers and develop print materials.
• Catholic Family Services of Peel Dufferin to receive $39,140 to provide 12-step treatment programs for victims of sexual violence and their children.
• Burlington Counselling Family Services to receive $75,000 to provide services for women with developmental disabilities who are victims of sexual violence.
• Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centre of Peel to receive $20,000 to work in partnership with four ethno-specific agencies in Peel to develop and implement specific volunteer recruitment strategies to serve victims of sexual assault.
• Sexual Assault Centre (Hamilton and Area) to receive $12,525 to create a peer support network for survivors of assault/woman abuse within diverse communities.

North

• Sudbury Sexual Assault Crisis Centre to receive $19,500 to provide a needs assessment and training to staff in the area of serious mental illness and sexual violence against women.

OTHER GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO ASSIST VICTIMS

The 2004 Ontario Budget made a strong commitment to help protect women and children from domestic violence by announcing:

• $3.5 million annually to provide supports for women and children in second stage housing.
• $4.9 million over four years for a public education campaign.
• Funding for a domestic assault assessment tool to be piloted in two sites, which may help predict whether a male offender is at risk of re-assaulting.

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Contacts: Sandra D'Ambrosio Minister's Office (416) 326-1000

Brendan Crawley Communications Branch (416) 326-2210

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