Yes, absolutely.
There's a real issue with the current system for survivors and victims coming forward where safety is non-negotiable. Most of us fear that seeking police or third party involvement can expose us and our families to retaliation, violence or other personal consequences for speaking out. The current system is really difficult to navigate with any sort of dignity. It's super retraumatizing, as well.
Historically and currently, there's a really bad track record of convicting those accused of sexual offences, despite statistics showing how common sexual offences are. When you have no trust in the system, it's really hard for people to come forward and put their trust in somebody else.
The accused also seems to have a lot more rights in any sort of legal process. Victim complainants are not provided with any sort of legal guidance or advice with respect to our rights, our options and where our participation level could be. We're not represented. We're technically no more than a witness to our crimes.
It's incredibly hard for those facing systemic barriers as well, such as those who are criminalized due to their race or religion, who don't speak English as a first language, who live with the threat of intimate partner violence or who live in poverty. There are a lot of key factors for why folks aren't coming forward.
We need to ensure that safe environments are established so that when somebody comes forward, they feel as if they're believed. They feel that they don't have to explain themselves 900 times to 900 different people. Folks need to have a choice and control in what happens with their name and their story.