Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses for being here. They have had an opportunity to see that our work environment is pretty pleasant, especially when we are considering a bill on which we agree fairly well. It also feels like we can implement measures to improve things.
Last week, I spoke to someone I have known for years: the first swimmer to cross Lake Saint-Jean, Jacques Amyot. He also swam across the English Channel—between the United Kingdom and France—twice. This man, who is almost 88 years old, goes to Lake Saint-Jean every year to watch the crossing. He was telling me with a spark in his eyes that he no longer goes there alone. He is always accompanied when he drives through the park, which takes him about three hours. Only a few years ago, he went off the road and has not wanted to risk repeating that experience. It is always impressive to see someone who is 88 years old, stands up straight and is in great shape. We cannot imagine that he could be a victim of abuse.
Of course, during our hearings, the Université de Sherbrooke's Marie Beaulieu, the Research Chair on Mistreatment of Older Adults, did tell us that a person's vulnerability or state is not the only factor that should be considered; their environment must also be considered.
Let's come back to the issue of significant impact and the wording of the proposed subparagraph. An objective we have had for a very long time is to resolve this serious issue where a huge number of abuse cases fall through the cracks of the justice system. One of the reasons we are wondering whether using the wording “significant impact” in the amendment could be an issue is that we are afraid that too many cases could continue to fall through the cracks.
I would like to hear what you think about that. Will considering that victims are affected owing to their age enable us to cast a wider net, even if it means using means other than the justice system? After all, when police officers become involved, they can easily refer a case to social services, for instance, instead of....