OPP Announces Victim Response Support Strategy

Dufferin County, ON (OPP - Dufferin Detachment) The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) today announced a Victim Response Support Strategy, which includes several actions the OPP is taking to improve the response to and support for sexual assault victims. The strategy outlines several new initiatives that focus on victim support, investigative excellence and oversight.

Key improvements include:

Victim Support
Resources to support informed, responsive officers
Victim response and support liaisons
Regional leads, Victim Response Support Unit
Research analysts, Victim Response Support Unit
Regional collaborations

Investigative Excellence
Ongoing training
Data integrity

Oversight
Victim Response Support Unit
Regional Collaborative Review Committees
Provincial Stakeholder Governance Committee

The OPP Victim Response Support Strategy is the result of the OPP Sexual Assault Data Classification and Investigative Review, which examined sexual assault cases closed by police as unfounded between the years of 2010 and 2016. The review included a directive to reopen any sexual assault report that was found not to be properly investigated.

Of the 5,322 unfounded cases reviewed, 3,463 (65 percent) were cleared correctly, 1,859 (34.9 percent) could potentially have been cleared using another classification, and 12 (0.2 percent) were reopened for investigation.

Both the OPP Victim Response Support Strategy and the review findings can be found at opp.ca/victimstrategy.

QUOTE

"The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Victim Response Support Strategy outlines the actions the OPP is taking to ensure victims of sexual assault are able to report their experiences with confidence that they will receive the support and services they need. The OPP is committed to investigative excellence, strengthening our relationships with community partners and agencies, and putting additional accountability measures in place to improve the response to and support for victims."

– Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner J.V.N. (Vince) HAWKES

www.opp.ca;
TWITTER : @OPP_News

SOURCE Ontario Provincial Police