Chender: Carrie Low’s case demonstrates need to change the Police Act

HALIFAX - Claudia Chender, NDP Justice spokesperson, made the following statement about the case of Carrie Low, which is before the courts today:

“This case highlights many issues with how survivors of sexual assault are treated in their pursuit of justice. Our Caucus is watching this case very closely. It is incredibly important that law enforcement employs a trauma-informed approach in their relationships with survivors of sexual violence.

Another important point highlighted by this case is the need to change the statute of limitations for complaints about the handling of sexual assault cases. It is not acceptable that the Halifax Regional Police (HRP) have a six month statute of limitations for complaints, while the RCMP has a one-year statute of limitation. This is especially an issue in the context of complaints brought against the Sexual Assault Investigation Team (SAIT) which is a joint HRP and RCMP task force.

The NDP Caucus is looking into amendments to the Police Act that could address this issue.”

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