When sexual assault occurs, every bit of information is a stepping stone on the path to justice, and ultimately, to healing. But too many survivors and victims' families stumble in the dark, lacking the adequate information needed to navigate the daunting corridors of the justice system. Many survivors summon the courage to report these deeply personal crimes; however, their distress is further deepened when they realize that evidence kits aren't always submitted to the court, evidence is sometimes tampered with, and information isn’t always disclosed.

This alarmingly opaque system often leaves survivors and victims' families helpless and without essential tools to aid them in their arduous journey of healing. The feeling of safety when reporting is undermined, and the absence of government accountability becomes distressingly apparent. Therefore, we are sending this plea to the Canadian Government and its Agencies to implement hackle provisions to make sexual assault evidence kits and their inventory trackable for survivors and families of victims of sexual assault crimes, in Canada.

In Canada, one in three women and one in six men experience sexual assault in their lifetime. With the vast magnitude of this crisis, it is imperative that every survivor and their families have the means to track the evidence, know its status, and be availed with pertinent information every step of the way. [Statistics Canada, General Social Survey 2018]

Making the sexual assault evidence kits trackable not only allows for more transparency, it directly translates to increased accountability on the part of government officials handling evidence. This initiative will also provide survivors and their families much-needed assurance and contribute to their healing process.

The time for change is now. It’s time to lift the veil on the handling of evidence kits, bring the struggles of survivors out of the shadows, and cast light on the path towards justice. This is an appeal to justice, an appeal to fairness, an appeal for a system that enables healing rather than hindering it.

Sign this petition to make sexual assault evidence kits trackable and promote transparency, accountability, and healing for survivors and their families.