Justice committee  Sorry, but I did not quite understand your question.

Justice committee  Yes, I agree.

Justice committee  Good evening. My name is Michel Surprenant, and I am the president of the AFPAD, or the Association of Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared. I would like to thank the members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for having me here tod

Justice committee  I would add that judges have the discretion to impose a surcharge or simply a fine, but they don't use it often. As I told you, the proportion that is actually collected is 2.7%. Judges aren't using their discretion enough. That is the problem.

Justice committee  Further to your concern, I would say that, in many cases, because of the tremendous costs, families are forced to take out bank loans or mortgages. You talked about the trauma and asked whether this would make things a bit easier. Just having to make those payments every month pr

Justice committee  I would add that the recidivism rate is 80%. So I think this is a good measure that could help make the criminal aware of the damage they have caused.

Justice committee  You would like examples. I can talk about the psychological counselling that is often necessary when a traumatic event occurs. Some people need just one or two sessions, simply to help them get back on their feet. Others, however, need more than that. Some expenses are a bit mor

Justice committee  Our association helps victims by referring them to the various services available, including psychological counselling. Our first goal, however, is to show them that despite what they have been through, it is possible to put the pieces of their lives back together. I don't mean e

Justice committee  This fund is a budget. As pointed out earlier, if the money goes to fixing roads, then something is wrong. But if all of it goes to helping victims—some of whom need more assistance than others—it will be possible to meet their needs.

Justice committee  If all the money went into assisting victims instead of supporting infrastructure and roads, that alone would be a big step forward. Obviously, a $200 fine imposed on a criminal to support the victim directly is not enough. There is always an amount or a budget, but it has to go

Justice committee  If that person has no money, they probably receive employment insurance benefits or welfare. A certain percentage of those benefits could be collected.

Justice committee  Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Michel Surprenant. I am the father of Julie Surprenant, who disappeared on November 16, 1999. Following the disappearance of my daughter, I founded, with the help of Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, the Association of Families of Persons Assassinated