MONTREAL -- Quebec must improve its handling of complaints from sexual assault victims including by establishing a specialized court, according to a report filed on Tuesday.

The report, authored by the Committee of Experts on Support for Victims of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, contains 190 recommendations. Among them is the establishment of a court system intended specifically and solely for this type of crime.

The committee was created in March 2019 by then Justice Minister Sonia Lebel. The report said victims must regain confidence in the justice system in order to feel more comfortable filing a complaint.

The document was submitted to a committee of National Assembly officials including Minister for the Status of Women Isabelle Charest and opposition MNAs Isabelle Melancon, Christine Labrie and Veronique Hivon.

Other recommendations include:

  • Provide all victims the right to four hours of free legal advice
  • Offer all victims the support of a social worker, whether or not they choose to report a crime
  • Establish an Office of the Quebec Ombudsman for Victims of Crime
  • Ensure consistency in the rulings of criminal, family or youth protection courts
  • Consider the wearing of electronic bracelets as a means to protect victims
  • Develop culturally relevant services for Indigenous people

The decision of whether to implement its recommendations is up to Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette.

The creation of a specialized court was originall proposed by Hivon, a lawyer by training, in March 2018 in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

“These are the victims who constantly adapt to fit into the small boxes of a system that was not designed for them,” she said on Tuesday. “Now, it's time for this system to take note of their realities and adapt to them. They are too often feel foreign in this system.”

The committee also recommended providing victims with a better understanding of the justice system and better training for various stakeholders involved in handling complaints.

According to the report, only about five per cent of domestic violence and sexual assault cases are reported to police.

“As elected officials, our duty is to ensure the recommendations of the report translate into concrete action, which will have a real impact on the lives of women,” said Charest.

The expert committee was co-chaired by Elizabeth Corte, who served as Chief Justice of the Court of Quebec from 2009 to 2016 and Julie Desrosiers, a professor of law at Laval University.