What is it. Trauma-informed practice is essential for promoting healing and minimizing re-traumatization. In Canada, changes to the Criminal Code, Canada Evidence Act, and Victims Bill of Rights aim to better support children and youth involved in the criminal justice system. However, significant gaps remain in how these practices are implemented, particularly by legal actors…
What is it. There is a presumption that these cases involve “technical” statutory rape, classified as consensual experimentation between peers, which the assault was “technical” due to the age differences among the peers. However, evidence shows that most cases involve significant age gaps, abuse by trusted individuals, and ongoing patterns of coercion and exploitation. This study examined over 500 criminal cases involving 625 female youth to understand how cases are characterized in legal decision-making and whether common…