Code for victims of violence: What it means when someone asks for Angela

For victims of gender-based violence or sex trafficking, asking for help is not easy. Many worry about reprisal, violence and stigma; some aren’t left alone long enough to seek out a safe person. A campaign being rolled out in Toronto is aiming to break down some of those barriers and get women the help they need.

"Ask for Angela," a campaign that began in the United Kingdom, is now available in Loblaws grocery stores, Shoppers Drug Mart and other affiliated stores across Toronto.

"The goal is to help survivors of gender-based violence who might not be able to access help in a typical fashion," says Carly Kalish, executive director of Victim Services Toronto, which spearheaded the campaign.

"We asked survivors 'where are you allowed to go during the day where you are not being followed, where there is no suspicion of you seeking help,'" explains Kalish. “They told us the pharmacy, the grocery store. So we reached out to Loblaws and their affiliate stores.”

Staff at all 230 stores in Toronto have been trained on what to do if someone "asks for Angela." The victim is brought to a safe space within the store, and Victims' Services is called.

Kalish says tracking how many people have used the service is hard, but estimates so far it’s “a handful.”

“It is so hard to seek help,” Kalish says. “It's another avenue, an accessible avenue, for people to get help.”

Ask for Angela began in the U.K. in 2016 by a police officer who named it in honour of her friend Angela Crompton, whose husband killed her with a hammer.

It started in bars and restaurants as a way to alert staff of sexual assault, trafficking or generally uncomfortable behaviour. It has since expanded to countries throughout Europe and beyond, including Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

"Ask for Angela is not just a secret word," says Iwona Kossak, the U.K.’s campaign director. "It's about giving people and customers who come into our venues the understanding that the venue they are in is trained in how to spot people who are vulnerable."

U.K. training has expanded in the eight years since the campaign has launched, and now includes how to spot someone who may be in danger, rather than waiting for someone to ask for help

"How do you spot that domestic abuse situation where there's either coercive control or coercive behaviour going on?" she says, “What can you do to support that person?"

According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, 30 per cent of all women over the age of 15 say they have experienced sexual assault at least once. But very few people come forward: the odds of someone reporting a sex crime to police are 80 per cent lower than other violent crimes. Low conviction rates and the re-traumatization many experience within the criminal justice system are often cited as reasons why women don’t come forward.

Kalish says financial concerns are also a factor for women experiencing abuse.

“There might be very tangible reasons why you don't leave,” she says. “You might not have the financial means to find another place to live.”

She encourages women to come forward any way, saying Victim Services Toronto has the tools to help.

“We can creatively problem solve and safety-plan with them so those things are not a barrier to them escaping their gender based violence situation,” she says.

Last month, Victim Services Toronto launched a safety app called “The Angie App,” described as a “hub” to ask for help, find the safest route home and store notes and photographs of an incident to report to police at a later date.

Kalish says someone is always ready to answer the phone to help, with trained staff working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

“Ask for Angie” has been implemented in many bars and restaurants across the country, but for now, is only in Loblaws and Shoppers stores in Toronto. The company is exploring options to expand the program to other parts of Canada.

If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:

If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911.

A full list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling can be found ​at the website for the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres. 

Helplines, legal services and locations that offer sexual assault kits in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia can be found here.

National Residential School Crisis Line: [phone]

24-hour crisis line: 416 597 8808

Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: [phone]

Trans Lifeline: [phone]

Sexual misconduct support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: [phone]

Read about your rights as a victim here.