December 11, 2002
Province Launches New Action Plan On Child Exploitation
Province Launches New Action Plan On Child Exploitation- - -
Safe Transition House to Provide Doorway To Change For High-risk Youth
The province has launched a new plan to help get sexually exploited children and youth off the street, Family Services and Housing Minister Drew Caldwell and Attorney General Gord Mackintosh announced today.
"Ensuring the safety and security of high-risk children and youth is paramount," said Caldwell. "We need to better work together with community groups to ensure our programs and laws are effectively protecting children against sexual exploitation."
The plan, funded through Healthy Child Manitoba, focuses on offering shelter and treatment to at-risk youth, intervening to take children out of dangerous situations and seeking incarceration for adults who sexually exploit children.
Today's announcement includes funding to:
- establish a safe transition house to provide a doorway to change for sexually exploited youth;
- provide new foot patrol outreach workers to get youth and children off the street;
- create a service team co-ordinator to better co-ordinate all the existing services for high-risk children and youth;
- provide additional specialized foster care resources; and
- create and distribute a neighbourhood renewal kit to assist communities in routing out sexual exploitation and abuse.
These initiatives are in addition to a range of other measures regarding sexual exploitation of children including the introduction of a new prosecution policy which recognizes that youth involved in prostitution are victims of a particularly serious form of sexual exploitation and abuse.
The new prosecution policy states that Crown prosecutors should seek jail time for adult johns and pimps of children unless extraordinary circumstances exist, prohibit their referral to john school, and refer child victims to programs that will assist them in making the transition out of street life.
"The sexual exploitation of children is a serious crime perpetrated by individuals with no conscience, and we expect those who exploit children to be dealt with harshly by the courts," Mackintosh said. "We will do what the province is legally capable of, but we must also press the federal government to strengthen the laws and penalties for those who sexually exploit youth."
The new action plan will be implemented by a multi-jurisdictional action team that will co-ordinate resources and services between government departments and agencies for maximum effectiveness.
"We are extremely pleased to be part of these positive steps to respond to a complex issue," said Jane Runner, program manager, Transition, Education and Resources for Females (TERF), New Directions. "Our experience over many years of working with those exploited through prostitution has made it clear the issue requires a comprehensive approach."
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