MLAs hear from experts about drink spiking in P.E.I.

A committee of P.E.I. MLAs looking into cases of drink-spiking in the province were told there need to be widespread changes in the way police and the courts treat survivors of sexual assault.

On Wednesday, the standing committee on health and social development heard from those who work with survivors about what advocates call "drug-facilitated sexual assault."

P.E.I. musician Kinley Dowling, who collected 17 accounts of drink-spiking this spring and took them to Charlottetown police, said she was shocked by the number of women who shared their stories with her.

Dowling said an additional 12 survivors have come to her since CBC reported on her story last month.

"I couldn't believe how many times it had happened and how little it was talked about in town. But I know now why a lot of people don't talk about it," she said. 

"It's obviously a very devastating thing to happen to someone and it's hard to bring up."

Rachael Crowder, executive director of the P.E.I. Rape and Sexual Assault Centre, told MLAs that one in three women will experience sexual assault in their lifetime.

The centre is currently counselling 13 clients, including five who were assaulted within the last year.

"How many women do you have in your family, colleagues, friends, how many women are in this room?" Crowder said. "We can assume that about a third of us are sexual assault survivors in this room."

She said the perpetrator is held accountable in less than one per cent of all sexual assaults.

Alyssa Coghlin, therapist at the centre, said the culture has to change.

"Even at an organization where we are blatantly like 'here's our mandate,' it is so challenging because there is so much shame around talking about this," she said.

The people who spoke to the MLAs said more resources are needed, including more counsellors at the centre.

They also asked for a 24/7 service, where somebody can be there to help victims navigate through the police and court system.