More Sask. sexual assault victims asking for help, but more needs to be done, say sexual assault centres

Sexual assault reports are up in Regina, and a counsellor with the Regina Sexual Assault Centre says she is not surprised.

Regina Police Service investigated 207 sexual assaults last year, up from 192 in 2020 and an increase of 70 per cent compared to 2012, according to the force's 2021 crime statistics.

Counsellor Mary Zwane said the increase might be related to more making the choice to come forward and speak out after an assault.

"Heightened awareness, availability of resources, somehow dealing with the stigma that has been around this issue, is increasing … the number of reported cases," Zwane said.

The problem of sexual violence and assault, however, is nothing new, she said.

443 reported sexual violations in Saskatoon in 2021

Faye Davis, the executive director of the Saskatoon Sexual Assault & Information Centre, agreed with Zwane that people are more aware about sexual assault.

A rise of reported sexual assault cases might indicate that people are becoming more comfortable reporting these crimes, Davis said.

Both the Regina and Saskatoon centres have seen an increase in people reaching out for support, especially since the #MeToo movement, they said.

"I think the MeToo movement allowed people who were survivors of sexual assault some permission to finally say, 'yes, this happened to me,'" said Davis.

"'It wasn't something I did. And it's OK for me to reach out for support.'"

Police in Saskatoon also noted a rise in reported sexual crimes in 2021.

Officers investigated 443 sexual violations last year, a jump of 10.5 per cent over the five-year-average of 401, according to the Saskatoon Police Service 2021 Business Plan Year End Report.

Requests for services have gone up almost threefold in the last 10 years at the Saskatoon Sexual Assault & Information Centre, said Davis.

More education needed

The Regina Sexual Assault Centre had a waitlist of up to a year in 2021, said Zwane. 

Wait times have since improved thanks to the organization getting more counsellors, she said.

However, there is still a lot to do for society to help victims of sexual assault and prevent these crimes. The issue of sexual assault has to be addressed broadly, and public education about sexual violence, consent and boundaries needs to be a part of the solution, said both women.

Studies estimate as few as five per cent of sexual assaults are reported to police, said Davis.

The way women and other vulnerable groups are treated in society is another root cause of the problem, said Zwane.

That includes shifting attitudes and beliefs around sexualized violence, added Ashley Kilback, communications specialist with the Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan.

"There's a lot of bias and a lot of misconception around the issue itself," she said.

"Part of truth and reconciliation, all of that, is also coming to terms of how colonization created these cycles of violence and impacted Indigenous communities, particularly women and girls."

The pandemic and its effects on sexual assault in Saskatchewan

The pandemic has made the situation harder for victims who experience sexual violence in their homes, said Zwane.

"COVID-19 brought us all indoors," she said. "Maybe people would seek help, shelter, safety elsewhere outside, but those restrictions would then confine you."

The pandemic forced victims of domestic violence to stay in unsafe environments, at risk of experiencing sexual violence, said Kilback.

She calls this the shadow pandemic.

However, society moving more online due to COVID-19 gave some victims of historical sexual assault or those living in rural areas the opportunity to reach out for help, Kilback said.

"People had more time at home, they were spending more time reflecting, thinking about their lives and coming into these memories that they've experienced," she said.

"And they were sharing, disclosing or even reporting previous experiences of sexual violence."

To find assistance in your area, visit Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan (https://sassk.ca/resources/) for a list of support services throughout the province. 

In Saskatoon, SSAIC operates a 24/7 crisis line in partnership with Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service at 306-244-2224. In Regina, the Regina Sexual Assault Centre operates a crisis and information line 306-352-0434 or toll free: 1-844-952-0434.