Systemic review examines how the legal system treats intimate partner and sexual violence survivors 

The BC government has appointed Dr. Kim Stanton to conduct an independent review of sexual and intimate partner violence survivors’ experiences with the legal system and use what she learns to make recommendations for meaningful change. 

The prevalence of sexual and intimate partner violence in BC 

In 2022, 13,885 people reported to the police that they experienced harm from intimate partner violence. 

In 2021, 4,524 people reported to the police that they were sexually assaulted. 

Unfortunately, the actual number of sexual and intimate partner violence incidents is much higher. It is estimated that only 6% of sexual assaults and 19% of incidents of intimate partner violence are reported to the police. 

Many sexual assault and intimate partner violence survivors don’t report to the police because of: 

• Social and cultural attitudes that expose survivors to blame, shame, skepticism, and stigma. 

• The belief that the perpetrator wouldn’t be convicted or adequately punished. 

• The persistence of myths and stereotypes about sexual assault and intimate partner violence in the criminal justice system. For example, the assumption that a woman’s report of sexual assault is not credible because she didn’t fight back forcefully.  

• The potential impacts on survivor safety and well-being including the risk of retaliation by the perpetrator. 

Opportunities to improve the legal system 

Solutions for improving survivor access to and their experience with the legal system have been identified in reports including: Towards a violence-free Canada: addressing and eliminating intimate partner and family violence, and We are here: Women’s Experiences of the Barriers to Reporting Sexual Assault.   

There has been success with the implementation of policies and procedures on how sexual assault cases are handled by police.  The percentage of sexual assault claims that have dismissed as “unfounded” has decreased from 19% in 2017 to 8% in 2021. Community case review teams have also been adopted by police departments across the country. These review teams of local civilian experts, such as counsellors, advocates, nurses and academics, have access to police case files and look for signs of investigative biases and opportunities for improvement.  

The review will build on past consultations and recommendations and include a focus on the systemic challenges within and between the criminal law, family law, and Indigenous legal systems.   

The results of the review will be available in May 2025.