What’s New with OCRCC

We listen. We bear witness. We facilitate healing.

OCRCC supports a Just Recovery from COVID-19

Who we are The Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) is an equity-seeking network of community-based rape crisis/sexual assault ...
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We remember December 6

14 women were killed at École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989. Over 35 women and girls in Ontario were killed ...
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Ontario court throws out law barring self-induced intoxication as defence for sexual assault: OCRCC responds

Once again, A Canadian court challenges the law barring self-induced intoxication as defence for sexual assault. As sexual violence survivor ...
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Systemic violence impacting the Black community: OCRCC

We are witness to systemic violence committed against Black individuals and the Black community, in places both far from and ...
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Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres: Our condolences to those affected by the violent attack in Nova Scotia, Canada (April 18-19, 2020)

Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) stands in solidarity with the communities of Nova Scotia, Canada. We were saddened ...
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Environmental Scan

In 2020, OCRCC completed an Environmental Scan on the Coalition, its history, and the many social contexts impacting its work ...
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COVID-19, Pandemics and Gender: OCRCC Statement

Support for survivors of sexual violence in our communities continues. Ontario sexual assault centres are operating, with some modifications to ...
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$2 million for human trafficking services was pledged by the Ontario government: Rape crisis centres wait — and worry — for details on promised provincial funding

Ontario's rape crisis centres await details from the provincial government on a $2 million funding announcement addressing resources for sexual ...
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PC Government commits $2 million for human trafficking; but ends funding to reduce wait-times: OCRCC Responds

Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) has learned that the PC Government intends to commit to $2 million in ...
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$1 million cut to rape crisis funding a ‘callous place to pinch pennies’

Last year, the provincial government announced stopgap funding to help shorten wait times for victims of sexual violence to speak ...
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Ontario government denies extra funding to sexual assault centres

Advocates for Ontario’s 42 sexual assault centres say the provincial government will not renew a $1-million funding boost next year, ...
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Ontario Ends Extra Funding For Rape Crisis Centres As Wait Times Soar

The Ontario government will not provide cash-strapped rape crisis centres with any additional funding this year, despite a spike in ...
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Ontario cancels $1M for rape crisis centres, prompting concerns wait times will spike

Ontario's 42 rape crisis centres have learned the $1 million funding boost they received last year from the province will ...
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Province will not renew $1M in funding to cut waitlists at rape crisis centres

Two weeks before International Women’s Day, a network of sexual assault centres across Ontario received news that additional funding provided ...
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Government axes $1M funding boost for rape crisis centres

The province has axed an additional $1 million in funding for the province’s 42 rape crisis centres, which are now ...
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Government ends One-time Funding Resources for Ontario Sexual Assault Centres: OCRCC Responds

A year ago, in the face of increased demands for service and crushing wait lists for supportive counselling to survivors ...
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‘No one should have to wait’: Supports for sexual assault survivors

The Toronto Rape Crisis Centre and Ontario’s 41 other sexual-assault centres are a lifeline to scores of survivors of sexual ...
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Sexual assault centres struggle with limited funding as more women come forward to say #MeToo

In Toronto, wait times for sexual violence counselling are around 11 months. The Avalon Sexual Assault Centre in Halifax stopped putting ...
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Even today, sexual violence survivors struggle to be heard

With the start of the criminal trial of Harvey Weinstein, the pervasiveness of sexual assault is back in the public ...
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“I have to tell rape victims to come back in 11 months”: A counsellor at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre, on the provincial funding cuts

“The day in march 2018 when the Ontario Liberals announced their gender-based violence strategy, I cried with joy. The plan ...
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30 Years Later: Remember December 6

On December 6, 1989, a gunman killed 14 women − 13 students and one staff – at Montreal’s École Polytechnique, ...
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Ontario’s revamped compensation program unavailable to victims of historical sexual crimes: OCRCC Responds

The network of sexual assault and rape crisis centres across Ontario is demanding Ontario's attorney general reverse recent changes to victim ...
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Sexual abuse survivors: Province cuts crime victims fund

In September, the Ontario Government announced supports meant to “make it easier for victims of violent crime and their families ...
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OCRCC: Federal Election Toolkit

Thinking about the impacts the upcoming federal election could have on important issues, such as reproductive rights, gender-based violence, the ...
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Take Back the Night: Speak out against gendered violence

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Victims left short by program changes: Ontario critics

People working on the front lines to support victims of crime say Ontario’s changes to support programs will rob some ...
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Gender-based violence: the importance of affordable, accessible childcare

Canadian research shows that “there is a direct link between economic empowerment and gender-based violence. Women with domestic violence experiences ...
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Statistics Canada: Almost 19% year over year increase in Sexual Assaults in Ontario

Last week, Statistics Canada released recent findings of Incident-based crime statistics[1] in Canada. In these statistics, we can see that ...
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What Survivors are saying about Ontario Sexual Assault Centres

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Supporting Sexual Violence Survivors

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Ontario Sexual Assault Centres: What We Do

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Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: “pervasive, immediate and urgent”

As women’s advocates, we know that the threat of violence continues to loom too large as a reality in the ...
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Vast Majority Of Ontarians Oppose Cuts To Legal Aid

Three-quarters of Ontarians are opposed to the province’s cuts to Legal Aid Ontario, a new poll has found. Legal Aid ...
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Sexual Violence: Rural realities

While all survivors of violence face barriers to getting the support they need, rural survivors of sexual violence face concerns ...
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Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) Responds to Attack at synagogue in Poway, California and other targeted attacks

Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) acknowledges and condemns the targeted violent attack at a Chabad synagogue in Poway, ...
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Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres responds to the Student Voices on Sexual Violence Survey findings

Sexual violence can happen anywhere. Yet colleges and universities in Canada are home to those who are at the highest ...
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Sexual violence crisis centre faces an uncertain future

York Region’s only sexual violence crisis centre faces an uncertain future after promised provincial funding falls through. The Women’s Support ...
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One-time Funding Resources for Ontario Sexual Assault Centres: Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) Responds

A year ago, on March 1, 2018, the Province of Ontario launched a strategy which would see a significant increase ...
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Has #MeToo really made a difference?: NOW Toronto

The #MeToo movement surged in the fall of 2017. But it hasn’t exactly changed everything. When it comes to sexual ...
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Government spending cuts impact Indigenous programming in Ontario: OCRCC Responds

The Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) responds with concern to recent government spending cuts impacting Indigenous programming in ...
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Remember December 6

On this date in 1989, a gunman killed 14 women at Montreal’s École Polytechnique, before killing himself. In the suicide note ...
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$11.5 million increase to shelters and counselling, but no news on Sexual Violence Support services

Last week, Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues Lisa McLeod announced a $11.5 million increase to shelters and counselling services. While ...
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Ontario’s Rape crisis centres continue to await promised funding

Rape crisis centres don’t yet know if they will receive additional funding promised by Ontario’s previous Liberal government earlier this year as ...
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Ontario’s Resolution R4 (on gender identity): OCRCC Responds

Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) denounces resolution R4, the PC government's recent draft   resolution to not recognize gender ...
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Sexual assault centres are overwhelmed in the #MeToo era

In Waterloo Region, a woman was visiting her doctor's office when she noticed a sign and phone number for the ...
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#SurvivorsCan’tWait: Ontario rape crisis centres still awaiting funding promised

Included in the Ontario gender-based violence strategy was up to $14.8-million over three years to increase the capacity of current ...
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Ontario: Won’t Say If They’ll Honour Funding Bump For Rape Crisis Centres

Last week, NDP MPP Suze Morrison rose in question period to ask the Ontario Progressive Conservatives if they would honour ...
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Sexual Assault Survivors know Dr. Blasey Ford’s impossible burden

Testimony in a sexual assault case - which relies on a survivor’s willingness to provide it - has the power ...
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Online Sexual Violence

What is Online Sexual Violence? Online sexual violence can include... Spreading lies online about someone’s sexual reputation Spreading truths online ...
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Poverty, Sexual Violence and Ontario Income Supports

Sexual violence can impact anyone. But Canadian and global statistics tell us that the prevalence of sexual and relationship is ...
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Government repeals Ontario’s Sex Education Curriculum: OCRCC Responds

This September, Ontario will revert to an outdated 1998 sex-ed curriculum. Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) believes that ...
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Get the Facts: Healthy Relationships

Get the facts on Healthy Relationships...and signs of a less-healthy relationship. Read more about healthy relationships and relationship abuse in ...
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Education as Prevention: Youth, Sexual Violence and Mental Health

Historically, many cultures in which we live have recommended silence as a way to deal with uncomfortable issues such as ...
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Get the Facts: What is Sexual Assault?

Get the facts on Sexual Assault Read more about sexual assault in our Sexual Assault Definition Fact Sheet (English). Sexual ...
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OCRCC: Ontario elects Progressive Conservative government

The Province of Ontario elected a Progressive Conservative, government on June 7, 2018. At Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres ...
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What is Consent?

Get the facts about consent. Read more about consent in our Consent Fact Sheet ...
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Count Us In: Women will vote on June 7

Count Us In: Women will vote on June 7 This article was written by Pamela Cross, Lieran Docherty, Amanda Dale, Farrah ...
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Get the Facts: Consent

What is Consent? Get the facts about consent. Read more about Consent in our Consent Fact Sheet (English). Consent Fact ...
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What will help Ontario Thrive? An Ontario that works to end sexual violence

The last few months have seen the public extremely engaged on issues related to sexual violence, safe workplaces and many others connected to gender equity. The ...
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Using Technology to Better Support Survivors: Literature Review

Technology can make access to crisis, counselling and other supports easier to access for some populations of survivors of sexual ...
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Abuse and Older Women

Get the facts on abuse and older women. Read more about abuse and older women in our Myths and Facts: Abuse and ...
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OCRCC Election toolkit

Do you know what your local political candidates will do to prevent sexual assault if elected? Ask them. Download the OCRCC Election Toolkit 2018 ...
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OCRCC Responds: Ontario’s Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence

On March 1, 2018, the Province of Ontario launched the It's Never Okay: Ontario's Gender-Based Violence Strategy. Announced by Harinder ...
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Before #MeToo, victims lost everything

This article by OCRCC Coordinator, Nicole Pietsch, appeared in The Globe & Mail. A cursory look at your social-media news ...
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OCRCC Responds to the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council (HRPAC) on the Controlled Act of Psychotherapy

The impacts of sexual violence are most commonly understood via trauma or mental health frameworks. But we believe that sexual ...
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OCRCC Responds to: Moving Forward on a Strategy to Address Gender-Based Violence

We believe that a gender-based analysis of violence is critical to understanding how certain barriers impact different populations – women, ...
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Jailing a sex assault victim: This is not what justice should look like

This article by OCRCC Coordinator, Nicole Pietsch, appeared in The Globe & Mail.  Popular understandings of sexual assault reflect the ...
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OCRCC Supports C16: An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code

Press release: Bill C-16 An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code aims to amend the ...
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Victim of Unfounded Sexual Assault Complaint Sues the London Police Services for Violation of her Charter Rights

Press release: Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) stands in support of a survivor of sexual assualt and her ...
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Unfounded: OCRCC Responds

Press release: A 20-month Globe and Mail investigation into police-reported sexual assault allegations has revealed how police services across Ontario record some sexual assault ...
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Toronto man jailed for drugging friend with ‘date rape drug’: OCRCC Responds

Press release: OCRCC is writing regarding the case concerning Duilio “Nick” Franchino. Earlier this week, he was sentenced to nine months ...
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OCRCC Responds to Recent Developments in the Ghomeshi Case

Press release: In 2014, when allegations of violence against women were first brought against Jian Ghomeshi, many responded with disbelief: but ...
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OCRCC responds to the Ghomeshi verdict

Press release: In 2014, when allegations of violence against women were first brought against Jian Ghomeshi, many responded with disbelief: ...
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Don’t dismiss Ghomeshi’s accusers over their after-the-fact behaviour

This week saw two witnesses testify in the Jian Ghomeshi trial. Both witnesses are women who shared their descriptions of ...
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OCRCC Participates at the Select Committee on Sexual Violence and Harassment

In the fall of 2014, Ontarians were shocked by the news of several high profile cases of sexual violence and ...
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Draw the Line

'Draw The Line' is an interactive campaign that aims to engage Ontarians in a dialogue about sexual violence. Get free ...
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Draw the Line

'Draw The Line' is an interactive campaign that aims to engage Ontarians in a dialogue about sexual violence. Get free ...
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