Opinion: Losing the financing of the Center for Sexual Aggression puts lives in danger

Article content

The year 2015 was the worst moment of my life. In April that year, my fiancé and I broke up and lost my house, financial stability and my car. Trying to go further and desperate to keep my dog, I rented a house that I did not allow and entered the debts. Then, in August, one of my best friends offered me a walk at a real party to watch the detective; He got up in front of my house, locked the doors and sexually assaulted me.

Article content

When I revealed to my friends, they stopped talking to me. The next day, I saw a picture on the social networks of everyone, with my arms around the man who assaulted me. Finally, I managed to get one of the single girls and asked him to say, “Don’t they think or care?” He looked at me with a painful look and said “I don’t believe you” and I asked “Do you believe me?” And she replied with words that will remain with me the rest of my life: “I believe you, but I can not lose my friends.”

Article content

I reported to the police. I remember staying alive in the police car, exhausted from crying and elapsed, when the female police officer looked at me and told me that he had led me the criminal record. Not my abuser, mine.

When I was interrogated at the station, I was offered any support when it was clear that this is a situation supported by him, she said and I decided that I am too fragile to go ahead; The policeman looked at me and told me if he would do it again, it would be my fault.

Within six months, I had lost almost every thing that mattered to me: my house, stability and all my friends. I was completely alone. The irony of all these things was what was my daily job. I worked for the Alberta Government, and the job was managed by the contract for all the sexual aggression centers in the province.

Article content

Article content

I mention this for a few reasons: in part, to emphasize that I am unique to comment on financing for sexual aggression survivors as someone who is very familiar with the financing model and in the last 10 years of the financing cycle and also that someone who is alive writes on my computer right now because of the Edmonton assault center.

In the months that followed my attack, I could not only give me pain at work, but prosper; It was one of the most successful periods of my career. However, then I went home. At home, I drink too much to try to approach not only the pain in my assault, but my isolation. I was suicide; Every night I went to bed hoping I wouldn’t wake up. I started to cut to free this ball of pain and anger in me. I drown and no one could see.

A few months later, in my capacity as a contract manager, I participated in the annual General Assembly of the Association of Sexual Assault Services in Alberta; This is a meeting of all the centers of sexual aggression in the province. I sat down there and presented and then there was a moment: I felt like all the pain and all the wounds had just thrown into me and I revealed. I told this room full of executive directors of the centers that I was sexually assaulted. I didn’t expect it, I didn’t intend, I simply couldn’t hold it.

Article content

Two days later, I started counseling at the Edmonton Sex Aggression Center. He saved my life.

The conservative government united in the budget 2025 took the financing of waiting lists for sexual assault centers, as well as did not offer financing increases in their operational financing, which was expected from the promises of their campaign in 2023. It is important to emphasize that the financing to reduce the waiting lists. Without it, they return. Especially given the announcement at the Edmonton sexual aggression Center that these discounts have led to interruption for clinical services.

I owe the life of the services I received. Each dollar that is not spent to support operational services or waiting times signifies the life of a survivor. Survivors who do not believe or support have a 31 percent chance of developing post -traumatic stress disorders; They are 13 times higher to try suicide than the victims of the non-violent crime; 13.4 times more likely to develop alcohol problems; and 26 times more likely to develop a drug problem.

Article content

These financing supports do not only save lives, but save the Government money in Alberta in other fields. It only makes sense. It is the conservative approach compassion and fiscal responsible for a problem that affects one third of women and a quarter of men.

These decisions cannot be reversed without the voices of Albertani to tell our government that these discounts are unacceptable. I share my story in the hope that you will contact not only your MLA, but also Prime Minister Danielle Smith and the Minister of Children’s and Families Services, Searle Turton, and please restore the financing of the waiting list and engage in order to increase the operational financing promise.

Life depends on it.

Kristin Raworth is a lawyer of the survivor of sexual violence and former spokesman for the provincial campaign, I think you. It pleaded for provincial and federal legislation to better support survivors of sexual violence. Currently, he is the executive counselor of the City of Edmonton, Andrew Knack.

Article content