QUEBEC CITY -- The Quebec government confirmed on Friday that it will deploy emergency financial assistance to victims of sexual and spousal violence, first in the Laval and Montérégie regions and then elsewhere in Quebec in the coming months.
The emergency assistance will allow a victim of violence whose safety or that of his or her children is compromised to quickly leave a dangerous environment.
Several expenses will be covered, including transportation and accommodation costs as well as living expenses for the victim and his or her dependents.
The new service will be administered by the SOS conjugal violence and Info-aide violence sexuelle organizations, depending on the nature of the violence suffered. Front-line workers, such as police officers, shelters or victim assistance centres, will be able to contact the emergency financial assistance administrators seven days a week, at any time of the day or night.
In order to avoid having to repeat their story over and over again, the emergency financial assistance administrators will contact service providers to meet their needs.
The deployment of this emergency financial assistance was previewed in the reform of the compensation system for victims of crime (IVAC).
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 15, 2021.
