INTRODUCTION
Sexual Assault In Wellington County or #SAinWC is a two-year awareness initiative supported by Wellington County OPP, Victim Services Wellington and Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington.
This initiative is designed to increase awareness of Sexual Assault as well as Human Trafficking which is also far too prevalent in our communities. It is a multi-facet concept that ranges from social media to billboards, to community engagements to officer training. Funding for programming came from the Community Safety and Policing Grant in January 2021.
WATCH WITH CARE
REFERENCES TO SEXUAL ASSAULT, DRUG USE
These videos illustrates how a Sexual Assault encounter might look after the fact.
Let’s introduce the partners!
VSW works closely with the Wellington OPP detachment to help support and assist victims within the Wellington community. Human trafficking, gang violence, and sexual violence are not limited to large cities. We have seen an incline in human trafficking and sexual violence within rural communities. VSW has the Victim Quick Response Program Plus (VQRP+) in place for victims of human trafficking and sexual violence. For more information on what VSW is able to offer through VQRP+, please visit this LINK . This grant comes at a pivotal time, and we are happy to be able to partner and combat these atrocious crimes alongside Wellington OPP and Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington.
So essentially VSW offers VQRP+ for HT victims which consists of:
- The Victim Quick Response Program Plus (VQRP+) is funded by the Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division of the Ministry of the Attorney General to support direct victims, their family members, and witnesses in the immediate aftermath of violent crimes. This program assists with financial support for essential expenses in order to lessen the impact of the crime, enhance safety, and meet immediate practical needs arising from the commission of the crime.
Financial support is available to help cover the cost of:
- Safety expenses
- Practical assistance expenses
- Travel and associated expenses
- Crime scene clean up
- Counseling services, traditional indigenous health services, and associated transportation expenses
- Supports for victims with serious injuries and for families of homicide victims
There is specific eligibility criteria and timelines that must be met to qualify for the program.
CRIME STOPPERS GUELPH WELLINGTON
Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington (CSGW) is a charitable, not for profit organization that offers the public a safe, anonymous and confidential method of reporting crime. It is NOT the police.
If you are aware of a crime in your community, such as Sexual Assault or Human Trafficking, you can report this either by phone, 1-800-222-TIPS or via webtip, at www.csgw.tips. You never have to give your name or testify in court. If your information is used in an arrest you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.
If you are interested in learning more about how Crime Stoppers works, send us an email at [email protected] to request an in person or virtual/online presentation. Presentations are free and available to any group/organization in the City of Guelph and County of Wellington.
The OPP is committed to fighting human trafficking through intelligence-gathering and working cooperatively with our community partners Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington and Victim Services Wellington to support victims
Human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation or harbouring of persons for the purposes of exploitation. It does not require the crossing of borders or any movement of persons. Exploitation is the key element of the offence.
Human trafficking victims are often from extremely vulnerable populations including migrant workers, new immigrants, Indigenous women and youth, at-risk youth and those who are socially or economically disadvantaged. These victims rarely identify themselves to authorities.
Integrated resources, the sharing of information, a victim-centred approach and community partnerships are critical to law enforcement’s effective response to this kind of crime.
Human trafficking is not confined to “big cities.” To learn more from OPP on Human Trafficking, go here.
To report an emergency call 911 or the OPP 24 Hour Police Service: 1-888-310-1122
Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010
Sexual Assault Message from Victim Services Wellington:
