Justice Committee on June 15th, 2026

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Thank you very much, Mr. Lawton.

We're moving on to Ms. Lapointe for six minutes.

Please go ahead.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to start by thanking Cristina and Evie for the many meetings you've had with me and for the discussions we've had that have really helped give shape and form to this bill. I also want to thank you for appearing at committee today.

Cristina, you talked about how survivors, families and communities shouldn't have to carry the burden of recovery alone. That really speaks to the importance of the support services that are offered in not only Sudbury but communities all across Canada. Can you tell us about the importance of those services for victims of these crimes?

[Cristina Scarpellini]

Long-term support for victims of human trafficking is important so that they don't end up back with their trafficker. If we have a survivor who isn't healed, chances are they could end up back with their trafficker. Our goal is to walk hand in hand with them on their healing journey. If a survivor is using substances, we can get them to abstain from them and go into treatment. It's very important that a survivor recover from this so that they don't become a statistic, either back with their trafficker or dead.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Evie, in your opening statement, you talked about the profound impacts of victimization. Can you expand on those impacts and on what you see every day?

[Evie Ali]

Absolutely. The crimes that we provide support on vary from petty theft to things that are more significant like serious assaults and so forth. Support, as I mentioned, can range as well among a variety of things. Sometimes it's very simple, but sometimes it requires all hands on deck to support an individual because we're looking at a multi-faceted problem. When you have a victim coming forward from a marginalized population, they don't have somewhere safe to go. They don't have the resources behind them to continue to promote a healthier lifestyle or to get them out of where they were.

I say this coming from lived experience. I am 16 years sober. I used to be homeless and an addict in the very same community that we're serving. It was only because I had privilege that I get to sit here and have this conversation with you today.

It is our goal to bridge the gaps and barriers to provide that privilege to other people who come from other demographics and who won't necessarily have access.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Thank you, Evie.

In some of the discussions we had, we talked about how this bill is not only about bringing accountability to those committing these crimes. It's also about visibility for the frontline responders who support these victims.

Currently, support organizations like yours, Evie, are largely not seen in our judicial system. Can you talk to us about that?

[Evie Ali]

When we're dealing with victims who have been through the justice system, typically they will land back at our agencies or similar agencies. Our agencies are all above capacity. We're underfunded, and we're all dealing with multiple simultaneous crises.

When a victim comes forward, we have to do our best to support them within the limitations we are given. Those limitations are often financial. While there are often other supports available to victims, there are many hoops they have to jump through to access them. This is what we keep coming back to with this bill. Victims should not have to go through complex processes during those times in their lives just to access meaningful supports.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Cristina, in your opening statement, you talked about how Bill C-238 recognizes an important principle, which is that those who cause harm should bear greater responsibility for addressing its consequences.

Can you expand on that point and share with us some of the things that you've heard from the victims of human trafficking you support?

[Cristina Scarpellini]

I often hear from victims of human trafficking that they don't get justice. It may be that they went through the justice system and their trafficker wasn't convicted, or even if their trafficker was convicted, they feel that the trafficker should be contributing to their recovery, since they were the one who caused the trauma.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

You also talked about how the impact of trafficking doesn't end when the exploitation ends. Can you tell us what is meant by that?

[Cristina Scarpellini]

For the trauma that survivors endure while being exploited, the real recovery starts after they've exited the game. That is a long, intense and complex process. We've had survivors who have been working with us for the past five years, because healing is not a linear journey.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Thank you, Cristina.

Evie, you talked about how raising awareness of restitution is a positive step. Can you expand on that?

[Evie Ali]

Absolutely. Bill C-238 really just acknowledges that frontline organizations are absorbing costs in relation to these crimes that are being committed.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

If you could you give this committee advice from the people you support every day, what is the most important message you would want these committee members to walk away with today?

[Evie Ali]

I always want to repeat and enforce that nobody woke up one morning and decided to live this lifestyle. There is always a chain of events or a significant event that leads somebody to where they sit today, be that an encampment, a jail cell, a sidewalk or without a home. Nobody woke up and decided, “Today, I want to try drugs and ruin my life. Today I want to risk my life and lose my family.” Nobody woke up and chose that. There's always an underlying cause and an underlying circumstance. Sometimes it relates back to very early childhood. Sometimes it's something that happens through our growth spectrum as we become adults.

I really cannot stress that enough. We hear so much that they don't want help or they just want drugs. That's just not the reality. We're dealing with multiple systems designed on outdated policies that still stigmatize and create barriers for the individuals to access help. Then we want to sit here screaming that they don't want it.

Again, I really cannot stress enough that nobody woke up and chose this. Everybody has something that's led them to where they are. Nobody is happy in this lifestyle, despite the misconstrued stereotypes we may see surrounding it.

That's really important to me.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Thank you very much, Ms. Lapointe.

Mr. Fortin, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Ms. Ali and Ms. Scarpellini, thank you both for being here this morning.

Obviously, we all recognize the importance of helping victims of crime who are dealing with legal proceedings that are often complex and costly. In that regard, we must commend the work both of you are doing in your respective organizations. Thank you.

That said, with respect to the bill we're studying this morning, I'd like to discuss a few things with you.

Ms. Ali, are you currently receiving funding from the province?

Which province do you work in?

[Evie Ali]

We are in Ontario.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Are you currently receiving funding from the Ontario government and the federal government?

[Evie Ali]

No, we do not.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

How do you fund your activities?

[Evie Ali]

Our activities are currently municipally funded and privately funded.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Okay.

With respect to those requests, we understand that, when someone is sentenced, victims can currently receive restitution. If Bill C‑238 is adopted, organizations would also be eligible.

Have you considered how the requests of victims should be aligned with those of organizations?