Recently, EVA Canada submitted a brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code. EVA Canada members regularly hear from advocates, sexual assault crisis responders, and survivors about the challenges sexual assault survivors encounter within the justice system. For many survivors, being subjected to myths and stereotypes about sexual assault as they navigate the justice system amounts to a form of secondary victimization that can have profound and lasting impact. Bill C-5 has the potential to implement changes that can strengthen the criminal justice system’s response to sexual violence.
