Barrie police are developing an app to help victims of sexual assault report abuse anonymously.
The idea behind the new application, with the help of other agencies in the community, is to give people hesitant to report abuse a voice. It's also hoped the tool will help officials get a better handle on the extent of the problem in Barrie.
Some people are reluctant to report an assault to police, but they don’t want others to be victimized, said Barrie Police Staff Sgt. Val Gates.
The app will allow them to provide an alert to police without going through the entire criminal process.
Thanks to a $275,000 grant from the provincial government, Gates is hoping to see the app - being developed through the help of experts - go online by January.
“We’re just going to do the pilot here in Barrie and if it works, then we would love to offer it out to other services,” said Gates who has spent a large part of her career working in domestic violence. “We first have to measure it” to determine if people will use it and if it’s successful.
“Victims of sexual violence often don’t want to report to the police. It’s a scary and daunting task for them…. They don’t want to go through it, but they want to stop it from happening to someone else," Gates explained.
The idea is to increase the reporting of sexual violence and make it easier for men and women who have been abused to come forward. Many believe sexual abuse is under reported.
In addition to providing a voice, the app can also link users to local services.
In the pilot stage, access to the app would be provided through existing services like Athena’s Sexual Assault Counselling & Advocacy Centre, the Women and Children's Shelter of Barrie, the Gilbert Centre - For Social & Support Services and the Barrie Native Friendship Centre.
“This app will lift those voices and provide a safe mechanism for victims to tell their story and hopefully protect others from harm,” said Teresa MacLennan, executive director of the Women & Children’s Shelter of Barrie.
“This is very encouraging for sexual assault survivors and recognizes this continual issue here in our city," she said. "For far too long, the voice of the survivor has been stifled and held down.”
Those working at the local shelter see victims of physical and sexual violence daily and know it’s difficult for them to report their experience. They’re frightened, worried reporting might subject them to more violence, that they’ll be judged or go through the entire court case only to see it dismissed.
Through the app, they can at least get the information out and still have the option later to make a formal report.
“The added bonus to this app is that it allows people to find the resources and supports they need to further heal and understand the violence that they’ve experienced,” added MacLennan.
