Helping the victims

Domestic assaults are a large portion of the cases dealt with by the victims assistance program, run out of the North Okanagan RCMP detachment.

According to January-March quarterly figures, the program dealt with 163 new files during that time period with 111 female clients and 52 male. Of those, 33 were new clients from family violence.

The program supports people following violent or intrusive incidents in their lives.

“We offer emotional and practical support to victims and survivors of crime, including helping them through the criminal justice system – coping with paperwork, victim impact statements and accompanying them to court,” said Anita Eilander, victim's assistance program manager at the North Okanagan detachment.

Domestic assaults cases are often passed on, at some point, to other support groups, said Eilander, who adds the program supports victims of various crimes.

“We also work a lot with assault, break and enters, forcible confinement, homicide, missing persons, many types of cases.”

Victims and Survivors of Crime Week runs May 29-June 4.

Photo: Contributed