According to Statistics Canada, only 6 percent of sexual assaults come to the attention of the police, which makes it the most underreported crime. A report by investigative reporter Robyn Doolittle in 2017, found a high rate of sexual assaults that were reported to police were classified as unfounded.
Because of the report, police services, and communities, including Stratford committed to combating the issue with service providers. In November of 2017, a sexual assault advocate case review team was formed locally with trained advocates representing Optimism Place and the Emily Murphy Centre who review sexual assault cases deemed to be unfounded or not cleared by charge.
Stratford police reported 52 sex-related offences in 2024, with 45 occurring in Stratford alone. Jen Olenewa, coordinator for Stop Violence Against Women (StopVAW) coordinating committee of Perth County, confirms that numbers do appear to be rising.
“The gender based violence (GBV) snapshot published in 2023 by our coordinating committee reported 38 sexual violence charges laid by police,” said Olenewa. “One of the reasons for the increase may be connected to the sexual assault advocate case review and the work the police have done to make their interactions more responsive to survivors.”
According to Ontario.ca, sex offences take many different forms, with some of the most common being sexual exploitation, accessing child pornography, luring, indecent assault, rape, sexual intercourse with a minor, and gross indecency. In 2020, the Stratford Police Board endorsed the advocate case review as a permanent step in the investigative chain. Jasmine Clarke, executive director of Optimism Place and member of the advocate case review team since its inception, said the team brings a lot to the table to assist police.
“Throughout reviews, we have seen a shift in the investigative process, resulting in more trauma-informed investigations being conducted by officers,” said Clarke. “Our review process includes meeting with Stratford Police leadership and providing our feedback about each individual case. As advocates, better understanding the process of a sexual assault investigation strengthens our ability to inform victims of what to expect in the process if they are considering disclosing to police.”
Advocates point to a lack of resources and community support as the reason for the silence of many victims of sex offences.
“When speaking with survivors for the Rural Sexual Violence Project, they were very clear that the lack of support and recognition from community members and social services contribute to the silence that surrounds their experiences of sexual violence and prohibits earlier intervention with victims and perpetrators,” said Olenewa. “Survivors are asking us to acknowledge that sexual violence occurs in our communities, to provide public education around consent, and to provide pathways for victims to access non-judgemental, timely, and free services.”
Optimism Place supports those in need who are experiencing sexual violence within an intimate partner relationship and require shelter services. Experts say there is a need for dedicated sexual violence services in Perth and Huron counties, Optimism Place partnered with Huron Women’s Shelter to lead an initiative to develop and enhance a collaborative approach to address rural sexual violence service gaps in the region.
“Through community collaboration with service providers and consultations with survivors, we created a Rural Response to Sexual Violence Framework to guide decision makers to increase community awareness and support around sexual violence,” said Olenewa. “Our work over the last year revealed the need for opportunities for survivors and service providers to collaborate to create new opportunities for prevention, public education, professional development, community navigation and increased trauma and violence-informed responses to sexual violence across both counties.”
If you or someone you care about has experienced sexual violence, help is available through the Optimism Place Support Line by calling 519-271-5550, or by calling the Sexual Abuse Treatment Program at the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance at 519-272-8210, ext. 2570.