A counselling room at BASAC. Audio/visual equipment is also available for recording statements. (submitted photo/Amber Stewart)

By Angela Brown

Support for victims

Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre creates new ‘soft space’ interview room to aid victims

Feb 8, 2021 | 3:22 PM

The Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre (BASAC) hopes to make it a little less stressful for victims of violence by providing a safe space to give their statements to police.

The organization modified one of its counselling rooms to create what is known as a soft room, a comfortable, supportive space for victims while they are being interviewed by the RCMP.

“We use it as a counselling space, but when someone reports a sexual assault they will be coming over here to give their recorded statement to the RCMP,“ executive director Amber Stewart said. “So, by doing it here we are able to ensure there is a trauma-informed support, before, during and after that statement is taken.”

Stewart said often one of the barriers for a single mother is finding a place for her children while she is undergoing the interview. Here, BASAC staff will be able to look after the kids during that time to relieve some of the mom’s worry.

Stewart mentioned BASAC hopes by having the soft room available, it might encourage more people to report abuse.

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“They have to contact the RCMP and let them know, but they don’t have to go to the detachment to give their statement,” she said.

An RCMP officer will be able to come to the assault centre when requested to meet with the victim directly.

Battlefords RCMP Staff Sgt. Jason Teniuk commended the initiative.

“There is the audio and video equipment we require to take statements in there,” he said. “It’s a genuine soft room, which means it is a little more conducive to victims,…a more homey environment.”

Teniuk said he has been very supportive since he first heard the proposal from BASAC about a year ago.

“I liked the idea a lot. I thought it was a fantastic opportunity for us to partner with them, and that’s exactly what we did,” he said.

BASAC, located in North Battleford, provides free one-on-one counselling to anyone impacted by sexual or gender-based violence.

According to police, from January to September 2020 there were 3,711 victims of intimate partner violence across the province reported to the Saskatchewan RCMP. So far, 2,529 of these files resulted in charges.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW