BC Coalition of Women's Centres
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BC Coalition of Women’s Centres
For immediate release
August 1, 2002
Geoff Plant dubbed “Attorney for BC Abusers”
by the BC Coalition of Women’s Centres
BC -- The Attorney General of BC has just let abusers off the hook in
BC. He has sent the message that violence against women and children
is not a crime in BC and that violence against women is not worth pursuing.
He has told Crown Counsel that they need not prosecute. Geoff Plant
has gutted the Attorney General’s policy on Violence Against Women and Children,
a policy that has been in place for over a decade and was designed to protect
women in violent relationships.
British Columbia has the highest rate of violence against women in the
country. Violence against women and children is a Canadian epidemic where
an average of more than two women a week are killed at the hands of their
male partners. Violence against women is not a private matter,
it is a criminal matter.
A direct result of deliberate changes this government has made is that
women and children will be trapped into staying in abusive situations.
Trapped because they no longer have legal services, adequate income assistance
or any kind of community support services. Scrapping the VAWIR policy
sends women the clear message that violence against women and children
in BC is no longer on the public agenda. All of this happened while
the Minister of Women’s Equality Lynn Stephens sat silently. Women
and children will die because of the liberal government’s “tolerance” of
spousal assaults.
According to Geoff Plant this policy is not working, but we know differently.
Abusers plea out cases because of this policy, women come forward because
of this policy, abusers see the inside of court rooms because of this policy.
Violence against women is treated as the crime it is because of this policy.
Simply put, community coordination on Violence Against Women has happened
because of the VAWIR policy and that now no longer exists. What isn’t
working for women is this government. Geoff Plant will now
let criminals off the hook and is paving the way for more women to die.
Oppose this anti-women agenda, contact government today and demand that
they not turn their backs on battered women.
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If you have questions/comments for BCCWC, please
e-mail us at
bcwomen@telus.net
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BC Coalition of Women's Centres
•
British Columbia,
Canada
100 Mile House • Campbell River • Chetwynd
• Comox Valley
• Cranbrook •
Fernie • Fort Nelson • Fort St. John •
Golden • Grand Forks • Howe Sound • Kamloops
• Kelowna • Kitimat • Nanaimo • North Shore •
Penticton • Port Alberni • Port Coquitlam
• Queen Charlotte Islands •
Quesnel • Richmond • Ridge Meadows •
Sunshine Coast • South Surrey/White Rock
• Surrey • Terrace • Vancouver •
Vernon • Victoria •
Westcoast •
West
Kootenay • Williams Lake
This page last updated:
August 12, 2002
created
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