PCs Appalled by Lack of NDP Response to Sexual Assaults in MACY Report
WINNIPEG — The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth has shared alarming new details in a report about children in CFS care, identifying an appalling number of children being sexually assaulted that needs to be investigated immediately, Agassiz MLA Jodie Byram, PC Critic for Families, said today.
The report found that four in ten serious injuries reported to MACY are related to the sexual assault of a child in care.
“This is appalling. We’re talking about children in the care of government services and 40% of their serious injuries are sexual assaults,” said Byram. “And over 90% of the kids who were seriously injured are Indigenous. What is the minister doing to end this abuse of children?”
According to the report, being sexually assaulted was the most common form of serious injury at 41%, followed by being assaulted with a weapon at 18%, and attempted suicide at 14%. Byram called out NDP families minister Nahanni Fontaine for her response to the report.
“The NDP families minister claims to take these staggering statistics seriously, but her only response is dusting off a 23-year-old initiative to combat sexual exploitation? That’s not good enough,” said Byram. “The MACY report needs to be investigated further and action taken immediately.”
Byram echoed Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth Sherry Gott, who called on the NDP minister to develop new, comprehensive strategies to combat sexual exploitation and mental health for children in care.
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