School board welcomes Quebec probe into sexual abuse
At least one school board is welcoming news of an investigation into allegations of sexual violence at schools.
Some parents of students at Massey-Vanier High School in Cowansville say the school board is not doing enough to protect their kids from sexual violence.
Those accusations and others from other schools are what prompted Education minister Bernard Drainville to launch a investigation into sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour at the elementary and high school levels in all Quebec schools.
The Eastern Townships School Board, which is responsible for Massey-Vanier High School, welcomed the move.
"The minister mentioned in this announcement that the number of complaints had been increasing and I think that merits looking into quite apart from anything that's happening in our school," said the school board's chairperson, Michael Murray.
The Quebec Liberal Party said it would support the investigation.
"How come we heard that people actually raised their hands and tried to find help and, unfortunately, no one helped them in school?" said Marwah Rizqy, the opposition critic on education.
"I told Mr. Drainville he will have my entire collaboration because we need to fight the system and [ensure] the kids are safe in school."
But Quebec Solidaire Education Critic Ruba Ghazal said the province doesn't need an investigation; it needs a law, similar to the legislation for CEGEPs and universities aimed at strengthening measures preventing sexual violence.
Melanie Lemay, co-founder of Quebec Contre les Violences Sexuelles. (Joe Lofaro/CTV News)
La Voix des jeunes compte (Young Voices Count), a group fighting against sexual abuse, agrees. It said it has been asking for a law for the past five years, adding that more services for students are needed province-wide.
"We need to train the professionals working in schools to be able to receive testimonies of youth who have been experiencing sexual violence either at school or at home -- we need this law to make sure that if an adult is not acting and helping a survivor, they are going to have consequences," said Melanie Lemay, an advocate of the group.
"We need to make sure also that we stop the silence."
At the beginning of the school year, a new student ombudsperson will handle complaints in schools — another move the government has said will help keep students safe.
Ombudsperson Jean-Francois Bernier is responsible for ensuring the rights of 1.3 million Quebec students and parents are respected within the public and private education network.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.
1 killed, 3 injured including toddler, after Hwy. 417 crash in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.