Nearly one year after The Globe and Mail revealed an average of 27 per cent of sexual assault allegations in New Westminster were deemed "unfounded," the New Westminster Police Department has created a specialized investigations unit committed to investigating sex assault cases in the city.
The creation of the new unit is the result of a review by the New Westminster Police Department into the department's handling of sex assualt allegations. The review was prompted by a Globe article, which used statistics from police departments across the country to show that, on average, 19 per cent of sexual assault cases in Canada are classified as “unfounded.”
“After a review regarding the handling of sexual assault allegations, we took a look at how we could better approach these types of files,” New Westminster police spokesperson Sgt. Jeff Scott said in a police press release.
The new unit will investigate all sexual assault allegations using a model used by the domestic violence unit, which partners detectives with counsellors.
The intention is to provide "timely access to support for the victim that continues from the time of reporting the crime through to the end of the criminal process and beyond if required," according to the press release.
"Sexual assault is one of the most personal, invasive, and traumatic crimes a victim can suffer," said specialized investigations unit Det. Judy Roberston in the release. "We are hopeful that a dedicated unit offering a victim-centered approach will be a step in the right direction."
Anyone wanting to contact the special investigations unit is asked to call 604-525-5411.
