Charlotteown police to share sex assault files with rape crisis workers

Charlottetown city police defended their record on sex assault investigations and emphasized the need for survivors to come forward during an appearance by a committee of MLAs on Friday.

The committee's work followed a CBC News investigation last month that reported women feeling demoralized and powerless in connection with sex assaults — some of them a decade old — involving spiked drinks in local bars, which rendered victims unable to recall what had happened to them.

Police told MLAs that media reports suggesting there's a lack of police interest in sex assaults are misleading and ultimately damaging.

"This message can be extremely harmful to our community by potentially deterring any victims of crimes from reporting," testified Watts.

"That should be concerning to everyone in this room… because that message is simply not accurate."

Police officials told the committee they met in June with the woman featured in the CBC report as well as two other people who had collected statements from more than a dozen women.

"They had provided documentation of a number of incidents that were alleged to have happened, many of which were anonymous," testified Det.-Const. Tara Watts.

"It was very clearly explained to those people what the process would be to start an investigation… that would be the person involved coming in to file a police report."

Watts said when police consider whether to lay charges, there has to be more than "a hunch or suspicion and must be based on reliable information."

Three complainants have come forward this year, two of them in October, alleging sex assaults involving spiked drinks. Police do not belive the three incidents are linked.

In response to criticisms generated by the CBC report, police told committee members Friday they'll be sharing sex assault files with the P.E.I. Rape and Sexual Assault Centre

"We welcome that. Any oversight that can give us direction or ways to deal with victims, we totally invite them," testified Jennifer McCarron, acting deputy chief.

The memorandum of understanding with the centre will require security clearance for people who view the police files, according to McCarron.

MLAs wanted to know more about police investigation methods.