The Honourable Attorney General Chris Bentley stated that “no one is going to be left hanging.” in reference to victims of historical sexual abuse in Cornwall.
Well Chris, you’ve left almost 200 people hanging for over 7 months. Remember when you cancelled recommended counselling services and tried to replace them with a ‘Next Steps” program?
Even though Commissioner Normand Glaude expressly stated in his report, and I quote:
“Client-specific information, expert testimony on counselling needs, the strong Phase 2 submissions in favour of Counselling Support, and the ABSENCE OF COMPREHENSIVE AND REALISTIC SERVICE ALTERNATIVES have convinced me of the need to extend Counselling Support. The period selected for extension is 5 years, with a cost of
approximately 2.7 million for the whole period.”The Commissioner also wrote that approximately 170-195 individuals were still ‘actively attending counselling”
Only 16 people took part in the Next Steps program. So what happened to the others? Well, I would venture to say that they’ve been left hanging. And I hope to God that their grip is strong. Because it doesn’t appear that Chris Bentley, his ministry or our local MPP Jim Brownell will be reaching out to them any time soon.
Gabriel Riviere-Reid – Cornwall Ontario
(Comments and opinions of Editorials, Letters to the Editor, and comments from readers are purely their own and don’t necessarily reflect those of the owners of the Cornwall Free News, their staff, or sponsors.)
Gabriel Riviere-Reid
Don’t forget that Chris Bentley could have prevented the Harper regime from getting Rafim Jaffir off the hook for coke possession, and possibly trafficking. But there wasn’t even a word of protest.
So much for Chris Bentley
I am a victim of Sexual assault. I was attacked over two years ago. Had my life and my family’s threatened. Moved all over the country to hide myself. I lost my job, my credit, my home, friends & family due to the afflictions of this stress and turned away by “THE MENS HELP PROGRAM” for not having money. I was told by my lawyer, who dropped me two weeks before the criminal trial, that had I been a woman or defended myself criminally that I would have settlement or the justice I seek. I have still yet to receive any more help than an 1800# in case of emergency. I am in financial ruin now because of this. Every job interview I go into I have to explain my last two years of employment and try to convince them that the stress of the situation and court cases will not effect my role, just to be turned away with the simple excuse of being over qualified. I am loosing it !!! I found another lawyer for my civil charges just to have him drop me on Christmas, leaving me 3 months to find a new lawyer and file my suit. I had found a career in another province just to have a rep from the Criminal Injuries board tell me to get back to Ontario for hearings, that was last August and I have yet to meet with them as of yet. The Crown never repaid me for my expenses fully because a hand written and signed document was not a good enough receipt. Funny how it works for rent but not for services. Regardless I find myself now having been dropped by another firm and told its outside of their jurisdiction. So I am forced to move back to the area of attack uncomfortably, raising my stress levels that much more. I now have until the 29th of this month to find representation for my first hearing. I can now finally understand what triggers victims to become criminals themselves. I live off of Ontario Works, being told it is a draw against my criminal injuries claim, yet if it’s my money then why the struggle to get it? I haven’t the money to survive and get ahead for myself. I am furious, the man served 60 days, got $ to restart his life and only has to report once a month to a counselor. He was previously charged for the same type of crime in Sudbury and was known to have attacked over 50 people in Ottawa. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE ?!!! WHERE?!!! I was the only one to stand tall and put this criminal away even after I received death threats and a phone call that my Mother’s throat was to be slit and she was to be rapped. The Justice system has failed me, victim services lied to me and left me in the dark. THERE IS NO SERVICE!!! MENTAL HEALTH IS SELF-SERVE IN ONTARIO AND IT IS A GOD DAMN SHAME !!! You want gymnasiums and Hospital beds, while people like me suffer and become statistics of society, being victimized and re victimized, again and again. See my name? Is that what society has to resort to for justice? But does society even care or is it to depraved and selfish to do something about it? Maybe it is because the attacker worked for and attacked me out of one of the largest retail chains in Canada? I am sure if I was to hit the press with my story and play the race card that not only would the company be boycotted, white supremacist groups would seek vengeance for the crime as well as human rights activists. That is why I bite my tongue. What do you all think I should do?
Justice is for wealthy.
ah democracy at it’s best
what is “The Mens Help Program?
http://www.themensproject.ca/index.php?ID=13&Lang=En
smee your so full of s–t