Domestic violence victim credits Victim Services for helping turn her life around

HALIFAX – Friday marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women and also commemorates the lives of 14 women killed at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal in 1989.

The incident has drawn attention to the elimination of violence against women; an unfortunate reality that one Halifax-area resource deals with every day.

The Victim Services unit of the Halifax Regional Police started in 1996 and helps victims of crimes.

Though it predominantly deals with victims of domestic violence, it also helps victims of robbery, homicide and break-and-enter.

Jane was a victim of domestic abuse for longer than she would like to admit. (Jane is a pseudonym Global News is using to protect the woman’s identity.)

“You just get caught up in it when it’s been going on for so many years. You just think it’s a form of life,” she said.

But she has turned her life around with the help of Victim Services.

“They really help you. They call you in to meet with you, to speak with you and explain to you that it’s not your fault. You shouldn’t feel guilty about things you have no control over. You can’t control what the other person does or says,” she said.

She cries as she admits that she never reached out for help before, then her husband got charged and the unit contacted her.

Jane said that assistance from Victim Services was like a breath of fresh air.

“They send out a safety plan for your home, a safe route to get out. I contact them for other reasons and other questions I may have. They’re always there to answer the phone,” she said.

Victim Services Coordinator Verona Singer said that the unit helped about 1,500 people last year.

Ten per cent of the victims are male while the remainder are female.

They are offered counseling, danger assessments and referrals to other community organizations.

“We provide them with the police file. We provide them with emotional support,” Singer said.

But beyond that, the unit ensures the victims, not the crime, remain the focus.

“It allows the victims to have a voice. We’re very victim-centered so our concern is with how the victims are feeling and how they’ve been experiencing the criminal justice system,” Singer said.

Meanwhile, Jane is now a new path for her life. She said the help she received from the unit is a gift that can never be re-paid.

If you are a victim of crime, whether you have reported it or not to police, you can contact Victim Services at 902-490-5300.