New funding to support victims and survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation

From: Department of Justice Canada

News release

March 5, 2024—Montréal, Quebec—Department of Justice Canada

Human trafficking and sexual exploitation are heinous crimes, with far‑reaching repercussions for victims, survivors, their families, their communities, and society as a whole. The Government of Canada is committed to helping all victims and survivors of crime, including victims and survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, by working with partners to provide specialized services to these victims and survivors and foster a better understanding of their needs.

Today, the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Francis Scarpaleggia, Member of Parliament for Lac‑Saint‑Louis, and Ronald Lepage, Executive Director of La Sortie (The Way Out), announced funding of $442,921 over three fiscal years (2023–2026) to La Sortie to support victims and survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the Montréal area.

This funding supports La Sortie’s Alternative to the Sex Industry Program, which offers guidance services to improve the physical, psychological, and socio‑legal well‑being of women in the Montréal area who are victims or survivors of human trafficking or sexual exploitation. Services include assistance and support, as well as training workshops on subjects such as self‑awareness and sexual reappropriation, based on image reconstruction and skills development.

This program is specially designed for young women who are not able to receive the support they require through drug rehabilitation centres or shelters for women impacted by gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence. Through La Sortie’s activities, participants develop their social and professional skills to improve their well‑being, stabilize their situation, find housing, and enter the workforce.

The Department of Justice Canada is supporting La Sortie under the Human Trafficking stream of the Victims Fund. The Victims Fund provides funding to support projects and activities that aim to develop new approaches, facilitate access to justice, improve the capacity of service providers, foster the establishment of referral networks and increase awareness of services available to victims of crime and their families.

La Sortie is a non‑profit organization that supports women who are or have been sexually exploited, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 35. Using a comprehensive, community‑based approach, La Sortie offers participants outreach and housing services aimed at social reintegration, prevention activities for individuals at risk of being sexually exploited, and activities to raise awareness of sexual exploitation.

Quotes

“Human trafficking is a criminal act in which the vast majority of victims are women and girls. The investment we are making today in La Sortie will improve their access to justice and services and enhance their well-being. It will also support our national and provincial efforts to combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking as part of Canada’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.”

The Honourable Arif Virani, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

“It is the most vulnerable populations that need our support the most, including victims and survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. As a result of the federal support announced today, La Sortie will be able to continue making a difference for women who have managed to leave an abusive situation and are trying to improve their well‑being.”

Francis Scarpaleggia
Member of Parliament for the Lac‑Saint‑Louis riding

“On behalf of the women we support, we wish to express our gratitude to the Justice Canada Victims Fund for allowing us to pursue our mission in support of women who have experienced sexual exploitation. Thanks to this financial support, we are able to offer guidance and accommodation services to these courageous women who are seeking to rebuild their lives.”

Ronald Lepage
Executive Director, La Sortie

Quick facts

  • Human trafficking—often described as a modern form of slavery—involves recruiting, transporting and harbouring people, or controlling, directing or influencing their movements for the purpose of exploiting their labour, usually for sexual exploitation or forced labour. Trafficking can take many forms around the world. It often begins online, a trend exacerbated by the COVID‑19 pandemic.

  • Justice Canada’s pivotal role in the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking has two strategic outcomes:

    • Provide victims and survivors of human trafficking with access to improved, trauma‑informed and culturally sensitive support services.
    • Coordinate human trafficking responses among the Government of Canada, law enforcement officers and attorneys by promoting a victim‑centred criminal justice system, while building on existing efforts to prosecute offenders.

  • Since the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking was launched in 2019, Justice Canada has approved over $10.5 million in funding to support 26 projects across the country that provide services and support to victims and survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

  • The Human Trafficking stream of the Department of Justice Canada’s Victims Fund specifically provides funding to partners for services and/or training aimed at improving access to justice and services for victims and survivors of human trafficking, while taking into account the trauma they have experienced.

  • In Canada, human trafficking almost always involves the sexual exploitation of young women and girls: women and girls account for 94% of victims, while men and boys account for 5.6%. Around a quarter (24%) of victims are under 18. Among police‑reported human trafficking incidents across Canada, 45% of victims are women between the ages of 18 to 24. Indigenous people, immigrants, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals are also often at a higher risk (Statistics Canada, 2022).

  • According to Statistics Canada, Montréal has ranked third in human trafficking incidents reported to police since 2011. However, the data also suggests that human trafficking incidents are definitely underreported in Canada and around the world.

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Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Chantalle Aubertin
Deputy Director, Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
613‑992‑6568
Chantalle.Aubertin@justice.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
613‑957‑4207
media@justice.gc.ca

Ronald Lepage
Executive Director
La Sortie
514‑236‑7255
ronald.lepage@lasortie.org

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