Crime victims struggling after compensation program expires

Survivors of criminal acts in Quebec are calling on the province to reform IVAC, which now limits financial assistance to three years.

Survivors of criminal acts in Quebec are calling on the province to reform the crime victims compensation program (IVAC), which now limits financial assistance to three years.

Unable to work, some people have now gone months without income, suffering from issues such as anxiety, stress and other health issues.

Suzie is a child sexual abuse survivor and, more recently, became a domestic violence survivor.

Her dogs give her a daily dose of comfort.

“I tried to leave and to break up when I got pregnant, and it was really difficult,” she said.

CTV News is using the name “Suzie” to protect her identity.

After many attempts, Suzie finally left her ex-husband for good. Unable to work due to crippling anxiety and stress, she applied for financial aid in 2019 through IVAC, which compensates victims with financial support and treatment.

“[I was] relieved just to know that I could get services,” she said. “I could get financial help.”

IVAC changed in 2021, however, and capped the support at three years.

Now, Suzie and many others with IVAC files under the old law assumed their compensation would continue.

In September, Suzie learned her benefits would expire in October. After a month of confusion, Suzie received a letter stating her compensation could be extended for up to three more years.

She said it gave her more anxiety not knowing what would happen with her IVAC file.

Suzie is one of the 1,754 people who received benefits under the old law but are impacted by the reform.

This group is divided between those are no longer getting benefits — about 554 people — and the around 1, 200 people who received a two or three-year extension with many conditions.

Here are the conditions in question:

• Have maintained an employment relationship, but not be able to work.
• Suffer from permanent after-effects preventing you from moving around or looking after your hygiene.
• Agree to join a professional reintegration program.

More women victims

Noovo Info anchor and reporter Marie-Claude Paradis interviewed multiple victims and investigated the story.

“They’re very stressed, [with] financial stress, and we know that the cost of living is so expensive right now so it’s on the top of what they already experience as a victim, so imagine you were treated or experienced domestic violence for many years and now you don’t know how to pay the bills. So, it’s getting very hard for them,” she said.

The IVAC reform particularly hurts women.

In 2023, three times more women received IVAC compensation than men. Of the around 11,300 claims filed by women, 4,800 were related to domestic violence.

“Helene” (again, not her real name) is a victim of conjugal violence. Her ex-partner was convicted in September following a three-year legal process, and learned days later that her benefits were being cut off.

She feels abandoned by IVAC.

“I am one of the lucky ones,” she said.

She says she’s lucky because she has savings. However, those savings will only last until June.

Meanwhile, her symptoms, including panic attacks, have worsened from the stress.

Make compensation equal

Sophie Mongeon, who specializes in administrative and social law, said IVAC should work the same as other provincial compensation programs, such as workers' compensation.

“If I’m hit by a colleague at work, I’m supported till I’m 65,” she said. “If I get hit by a neighbour that doesn’t like me very much with my car, I’ll be covered till 65. But if I’m abused by a member of my family or beat by my husband or my wife, it goes either way. Well, I will only get a support of three years.”

Mongeon said that Premier François Legault said in 2024 that other support was available.

“Which is totally false,” she said. “There is social assistance, which is a last resort assistance. Or Retraite Quebec, but you have to be declared disabled, therefore unfit for any job and that is very complicated to obtain.”

The Quebec Ministry of Justice declined interview requests from CTV News and Noovo Info.

The ministry said in a lengthy email that the changes to the law have allowed twice as many people to be compensated through IVAC.

Quebec Liberal Party justice critic Andre Morin said victims need more than three to five years to recover from their crimes.

“I had warned the CAQ Minister about the risks associated with his reform,” he said. “At my riding office, I regularly receive calls from victims who feel abandoned and left without resources. In addition to the overwhelming stress of the violence they’ve endured and the judicial process, victims shouldn’t have to bear the added weight of financial anxiety.”

Mongeon said expanding eligibility and other reforms to help victims doesn’t help if they end up in precarious financial situations.

“I think we missed the boat totally,” she said.

Suzie filed a police complaint against her childhood abuser two years ago, but she’s yet to hear from a detective.

She knows the process could take longer than IVAC compensation will last.

“The legal part, the justice, when is it going to start?” she asked. “All my work on myself, on my high anxiety, everything’s going to explode.”

Some victims are starting mobilize and hope to eventually challenge the law in court.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT NETWORK

Victims of domestic violence can contact SOS violence conjugale at 1-800-363-9010.

Other resources:

• Federation des Maisons d’Hebergement pour Femmes
• Shield of Athena
• Espace Sans Violence
• Regroupement des Maisons Pour Femmes Victimes de Violence Conjugale
• Centre de Solidarite Lesbienne