Study: 10,000 sexual-assaults from 873 different jurisdictions found baseless
On
February 3, 2017 Canada’s national newspaper, the Globe
and Mail, published the results of 20-month-long investigation into how civilian police handle sexual assault allegations. The
Globe investigation reviewed more than 10,000 sexual assaults cases gathering
data from 873 police forces across Canada, save and except investigations
conducted by the military.
The findings exposed deep flaws at every step of the police investigation process.
Particularly disturbing, the Globe and Mail found that police dismissed ONE out of every FIVE sexual-assault reports - meaning that police believe the crime did
not happen. The problem is even more acute in the Canada’s
North. See “The Challenge of Handling Sex Assault in Canada’s North.”
In the wake of the Globe investigation, most police forces, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, have decided to review the sexual-assaults case that were labelled as 'unfounded' for compliance with police policy and appropriate decision-making. For the Ontario Provincial Police alone, this means that no less than 4,000 sexual-assaults cases are to be reviewed.
GOOD NEWS
Military Police 2010-2016 Sexual-Assaults Investigations
During period 2010-2014, the military police dismissed 29 % of sexual-assaults as being ‘baseless.” In 2016, the Military
Police’s dismissal rate dropped by nearly a third; 11 percent.
On March 13, 2017. Brigadier-General Robert Delaney, Provost Marshall (Chief of Police), announced that the Military
Police will review all sexual-assault cases that were dismissed as unfounded
going back to 2010. This means that no less than 167 unfounded cases will be
reviewed.
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