I’ve been reflecting a lot lately.

 

Not just as an advocate, but as a survivor and as a mother.

 

And I can’t stay quiet while this continues to slip through the cracks.

 

In Canada, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual abuse in their lifetime.

These are not just statistics. These are our children.

 

Recently, there has been a change. Laws have been updated to prevent convicted sex offenders from legally changing their names.

 

This matters. It is a step forward. It proves that change is possible.

 

But it is not enough.

 

We still live in a system where sex offender registries are not publicly accessible, where communities are left unaware, and where parents are expected to trust a system that does not give them the information they need to protect their children.

 

This is not protection. This is prevention falling short.

 

Other countries are doing better because they chose to.

 

Across parts of Europe, including countries like Norway, stronger systems are in place. There is greater transparency, earlier intervention, stronger reporting laws, and a clear focus on community safety.

 

These countries are not perfect, but they have made one thing clear. Protecting children is not optional.

 

Canada has the resources. Canada has the knowledge. What we are lacking is the will to go far enough.

 

This is a choice.

 

We cannot keep saying this is just how things are.

 

It is not.

 

Every law, every policy, and every decision either protects children or it protects offenders.

 

Right now, there are still gaps that allow offenders to live without community awareness, systems that prioritize privacy over safety, and delays in action while children continue to be harmed.

 

From one survivor to this country.

 

As a survivor, I know this truth deeply.

 

These crimes do not end when they happen.

They stay. They echo through a lifetime in ways many people will never fully understand.

 

So I am asking the question that should matter to all of us.

 

How many more children have to carry that pain before we finally choose to do better?

 

We can do better so let’s start now.

 

We are demanding real change.

 

A publicly accessible sex offender registry in Ontario so parents and caregivers can make informed decisions.

 

Stronger, transparent laws that prioritize the safety of children over the privacy of offenders.

 

Real accountability.

 

Because a child’s right to safety should always come first.

 

Please keep sharing. Please keep speaking. Please keep pushing.

 

Change does not happen when people stay quiet.

 

It happens when people refuse to accept what is broken.

 

And I refuse.

 

Rachel Mélanson