The New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety has moved one step closer to delivering their report on how police forces in the province handle complaints of sex crimes.
Minister of Justice and Public Safety Denis Landry announced on Wednesday that the reports from every police force in the province are expected to be submitted to the department by July. Some police chiefs have already reported their preliminary results.
READ MORE: RCMP to review sexual assault cases from 2016
Landry’s announcement was part of a 2017 request made in response to a report by the Globe and Mail that the newspaper says exposed deep flaws in the way investigators treat sexual assault allegations.
“I thank all the police chiefs for their co-operation in this important initiative,” said Landry in a press release on Wednesday. “We need to determine if there are issues common to police forces, and assess whether follow-up is required by the provincial or federal government.”
Landry had asked every police force in the province to review every reported case involving sexual conduct that had been closed as unfounded from 2010 to 2014.
READ MORE: Police reviewing ‘unfounded’ sexual assault cases in Sask.
Once the individual reports are submitted, the department is expected to make a final report sometime in the fall.
“It is a fact that the majority of sexual assault cases go unreported in Canada,” said Landry in a press release on Wednesday. “For this reason, it is essential that we work together so that victims of sexual assault can have trust and confidence in the system and in law enforcement.”
Departments across the country, as well as the RCMP have committed to completing similar reports.