On February 20, We (Faye Peterson House) have launched #TheVictimsPOV campaign to spread awareness about the struggles that survivors experience in Thunder Bay and Ontario when dealing with the Criminal Justice System and public court services like The Crown and Victim/Witness Office.
By sharing the perspective of real survivors in Thunder Bay who have been wronged by these court services, our goal is to show women that The Crown and Victim/Witness Office workers are not your advocate. While they do consider the victim and the impact of the harm endured, they do not act as your lawyer. Your individual need for justice is not their priority.
Why is The Crown not an advocate?
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- The Crown Office does not represent the survivor.
- They work for the province and within the guidelines provided to them by the province and the Criminal Code.
- The Crown/Crown’s Office has to be open to the possibility that the accused can be innocent.
- They are not your lawyer.
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Why is The Victim/Witness Office not an advocate?
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- The Victim/Witness Office does not work for the survivor.
- They work for the province and within the guidelines provided to them by the province and the Criminal Code.
- They work with The Crown.
- They can disclose any information to The Crown throughout the entire case.
- They have shown that they have been insensitive towards survivors.
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It is important to note that the Victim/Witness Office is useful to some degree, but they will not serve you or your personal priorities and needs. They are a helpful but limited resource. We are not saying that you shouldn’t use Victim/Witness Office services at all, but we believe you shouldn’t fully rely on them for court support. They do not work for you like a lawyer would, and can use the information you tell them against you.
Who are your advocates?
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- Women’s Shelters
- Women Centres
- Sexual Assault Centres
- Counselling Agencies
- Your own Lawyer
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What can you do?
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- SHARE this helpful and important message on social media
- SHARE your own story about this topic with the hashtag #TheVictimsPOV
- SHARE the link below to spread awareness of resources available to women
- Follow our campaign on Instagram and Facebook
- Follow our hashtag #TheVictimsPOV
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Follow the link below to find specific resources and supports in Ontario for people experiencing violence in the home. https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-help-if-you-are-experiencing-violence?fbclid=IwAR0saKralJVWU6c1r9PefIzGhC32596EHOj-