Open Letter Urging the Quebec Government to Listen to Students and Survivors on Bill 151

Open Letter Urging the Quebec Government to Listen to Students and Survivors on Bill 151

An open letter to the Quebec Government criticizing the contents of Bill 151. Bill 151 requires CEGEPs and universities to develop sexual violence policies, including adopting formal complaint procedures, victim support services and a code of conduct for student-professor relationships by September 2019. The letter argues that, despite consultations with community groups and organizations representing survivors, the Bill does not adequately protect survivors and does not incorporate all the recommendations of the community groups and organizations. These recommendations include requiring a stand-alone sexual violence policy, which would force cases to be considered not through the Student Code of Conduct but through the sexual violence policy itself, and the introduction of “rape shield protections” to protect the privacy of the survivor’s sexual history. The letter was signed by over 300 students and twenty organizations.

Connor Spencer, Caitlin Salvino, Kristen Perry

2017/12/05

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