A spokeswoman for Quebec\u0027s Education Department said the government has no plans to pass a law to specifically deal with sexual violence in elementary and high schools
“It was like they were trying to trivialize my situation and that in the end, I don’t need to get upset, I don’t need to be shocked, I don’t need to be frustrated by it,” said Sophie, which is not her real name. The Montreal woman, now 20, spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of her allegations.
Sophie and her group are undaunted. They say the status quo isn’t working and that Quebec students are too afraid to come forward when they are sexually harassed, abused or assaulted by peers or staff in schools.Their campaign for a provincial law dates back a few years, but it recently regained momentum after a wave of public denunciations of sexual violence began on social media across Quebec in July.
“The young person is stuck with the psychological ramifications,” Augustin said in recent interview. “Some youth told me, ‘I don’t want to go to school. I don’t want to walk next to my abuser. I don’t want to be surrounded by people who are going to tell me that I wasn’t supposed to denounce.’ … All these repercussions are serious.”
Under Quebec’s current legislation, principals are tasked with drafting a plan to address violence, which must be approved by their schools’ governing boards.Convicted of sexual assault, Quebec mayor still presides while victim 'becomes the villain' In January, the province’s largest public school board, the Commission scolaire de Montreal, adopted intervention protocols regarding sexual violence in its elementary and high schools.
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