Good afternoon everyone.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee today.
Finally, a bill that recognizes the rights of victims!
Established a year ago, VASAM is an association that assists men who have been victims of sexual assault. Although barely a year old, our young association has already accomplished a great deal for male victims. We are the first organization working to assist male victims of sexual assault in Quebec.
We already have a few hundred individual and corporate members. Further, we work in conjunction with organizations that assist female victims of sexual assault. We believe that, in 2014, sexual assault is no longer just an issue for women or men, but for victims.
Our organization's mission is to raise awareness among the public and political bodies regarding the problem of sexual assault against men during their childhood; direct and guide men towards appropriate resources to help them survive the trauma and health problems from which victims suffer long after the assault; and encourage men of all ages who have been victims of sexual assault to request assistance in order to break out of their isolation and retake control of their lives.
When it comes to victims' rights, our association responds to all draft legislation, always asking for reaffirmation and reinforcement of victims' rights and demanding that legislation be brought in line with the rights of perpetrators.
Today, we are pleased to tell you the reasons for our wholehearted support for Bill C-32.
It is well-established that, whenever we request a better legislative framework to protect victims, groups that provide assistance to perpetrators argue that we are interfering with the offenders' rights. Whenever we request tougher sentences, such organizations say we are automatically anti-rehabilitation. Regardless of the approach, it is often the victim who feels guilty for requesting more information, greater security, involvement in the process or restitution.