Province pledges to strengthen sexual violence policy laws for universities, colleges
The provincial government is pledging to strengthen sexual violence policy laws for post-secondary institutions, including protections known as rape shields," amid a Spectator investigation into campus sexual violence.
In a Wednesday news release, the Ontario government said it is proposing changes to existing law to include a guarantee that survivors are not faced with irrelevant questions about their sexual history, and do not face repercussions for violating an institution's drug and alcohol policy." The changes are aimed at reducing fear and stigma" for students who come forward with allegations of sexual assault or harassment.
The news comes in the midst of an ongoing Spectator investigation, Whisper Network," into McMaster University's handling of sexual violence. Survivors, advocates and experts have called on the university to review its sexual violence policy and on the province to strengthen laws governing such policies at post-secondary institutions.
The province appears to be heeding their calls.
Our government has zero tolerance for sexual assault, and we stand with survivors and we support them in their healing," said Jill Dunlop, associate minister of children and women's issues, in the release. We want to ensure that our actions reflect that as well. These amendments will help reduce potential re-traumatization and encourage more survivors to come forward."
The release notes the proposed changes would require post-secondary institutions to amend their sexual violence and harassment policies to protect complainants from irrelevant questioning about their sexual history." This protection is commonly known as a rape shield" which, in legal cases, prevents the court from probing a survivor's sexual history.
The changes would also ensure survivors aren't punished if they violated their institution's drug and alcohol policies when the sexual violence occurred.
Experts and advocates told The Spec the existing law, Bill 132, the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act, is vague and allows for too much inconsistency in how it is applied to policies across Ontario post-secondary institutions.
In the release, Ross Romano, minister of colleges and universities, said the proposed changes to requirements will ensure that the sexual violence policies meet a common standard."
The existing law, passed in 2016, requires every university or college to have a sexual violence policy that addresses sexual violence involving students enrolled at the college or university" and sets out the process for how the college or university will respond to and address incidents and complaints of sexual violence."
The province says an online consultation on the proposed changes will be ongoing until March 15.
More to come ...
Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com