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By Angela Brown

Victims' voices

Sexual assault agencies’ representatives show support for victims’ voices

Sep 12, 2020 | 10:00 AM

Several sexual assault agencies from the Battlefords, Saskatoon and Regina are standing together behind the creators of the Victims Voices Regina Instagram Page.

Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre Executive Director Amber Stewart said the agencies appreciate the efforts to create a place for victims’ voices to be heard.

“As the three sexual assault centres in the province, we just felt like we had to give a voice to the survivors and the [Instagram] page creators, and let them know we support them,” she said.

The CBC recently reported a Regina law firm has filed a $1 million lawsuit on behalf of a Regina teacher accused of sexual assault on the Instagram Page.

Regina lawyer Sharon Fox, from the firm Nychuk and Company, confirmed a statement of claim has been filed for defamation. The claim is filed against Facebook, which owns Instagram, and three unnamed Regina-based defendants, described as creators and administrators of the Instagram account, where the post related to the allegation of sexual assault against the plaintiff in the case appeared.

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Stewart said she could not speak to the legalities of this issue.

She simply wants to show her support to all victims of sexual assault in general.

The three sexual assault agencies said in a recent statement they “wish to express our concern and frustration with the actions directed at the survivors’ stories Instagram page administrators, and those who bravely shared their stories.”

They said the stories shared publicly over the past few years provide many examples of why people don’t speak out.

“The subsequent actions that have resulted in people withdrawing stories or suspending social media pages also provide some helpful examples as to why people stay silent,” the representatives said.

The experiences directly affect everyone, they said. Over 50 per cent of women will experience sexual violence or intimate partner abuse in their lifetime. One in six males will experience sexual abuse by the age of 18.

“These are not just numbers – these are lives,” they said. “The monetary cost to communities – by way of taxes to support mental health, addictions services, prisons and social services – is immense.”

The sexual assault agencies’ representatives said they believe in due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

However, they believe the use of social media to share victims’ stories is not about ignoring due process. Rather, it represents the failure of society to address “an issue that is destructive to many lives.”

Stewart said she is worried victims will not be heard.

“This was an anonymous way for them to share their story, which is an important part of healing,” she said. “For me looking at it, it just is another way of victims being silenced.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW