Deciding whether to report a crime to the police

You may be unsure about whether or not to report a crime to the police.

Whatever you decide, you can still receive assistance.

You can contact a caseworker at the nearest crime victims assistance centre (CAVAC)  or call 1‑866 LE CAVAC (1-866-532‑2822).

CAVAC services are free of charge and confidential.

DPCP helpline for domestic and sexual violence

Are you a victim of domestic or sexual violence and thinking about reporting a crime to the police? Do you want more information about the court process?

Do you belong to an organization that provides assistance for the victims of domestic or sexual violence?

If so, you can get answers to your questions from a specialized female criminal and penal prosecuting attorney (prosecutor) working for the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales, or DPCP) by calling the DPCP helpline.

The helpline services are free of charge and confidential.

You may have been subjected to domestic violence by a partner or ex‑partner.

To help you decide whether or not to report the crime to the police, you can watch this video on the process for reporting a crime in a conjugal violence context .

The video was produced by the Montréal city police department and is available in 17 languages. There is a related support guide (in French only) .

You may decide to disclose the identity of the perpetrator on social media.

However, if you do this your comments may be used in court proceedings, in particular by the lawyer defending the perpetrator.

Given the large number of offences defined in the Criminal Code, and the wide range of situations in which crimes are committed, it is impossible to list all the grounds for reporting a crime.

Here are some examples of crimes that you or a loved one may have been a victim of and that you should report to the police:

• murder or attempted murder;
• impaired driving caused by alcohol consumption or drug use;
• dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death;
• sexual assault, sexual exploitation or pimping;
• physical assault with or without a weapon (assault, domestic violence);
• theft, etc.

Each situation is unique. The circumstances and nature of the crime must be investigated.

If you believe you are the victim of a crime, you should go to the nearest police station to explain what you experienced.

If you report a crime to the police and the police decide to lay criminal charges, you will not have to prosecute the offender. The Québec state takes on this responsibility.

A prosecutor working for the DPCP will conduct the prosecution on behalf of the state.

The prosecutor is not your lawyer, and does not represent you. However, he or she must take your legitimate interests and needs into account.

You have nothing to pay for the prosecutor’s services.

Prosecutors’ duties with respect to victims (in French only)

There is no time limit for reporting a crime to the police. For example, a person who was subjected to sexual assault as a child can report the offence after becoming an adult.

However, in some cases, the prosecutor will not be able to lay charges because of a limitation based on the date of the offence. The limitation period is currently 12 months.

Limitation is a legal concept that only the prosecutor can assess. You should still go to the police station to report a crime, however long ago it occurred.

No. Citizens cannot report crimes directly to the DPCP.

In Québec, only the police can receive reports of a crime, from the victim or from a witness. The police force then investigates and files with the DPCP

• the investigation report;
• all the evidence gathered during the investigation;
• a request to lay charges (prosecute the offender).

Except for the DPCP helpline for victims of domestic or sexual violence, the DPCP provides no direct assistance.

You should contact a crime victims assistance centre (CAVAC) to obtain support. The services are provided free of charge.

If the prosecutor decides to lay charges in your case, he or she will take your needs and point of view into account. The prosecutor can also refer you to an organization in your region that provides assistance and support, based on your situation and needs.

You do not need a lawyer to report a crime to the police. You can go to the police station alone, or with a person you trust.

A caseworker at a crime victims assistance centre (CAVAC) can provide all the information you need, and can even accompany you to the police station.

If you have suffered domestic or sexual violence, the service Rebâtir (in French only)  provides 4 hours of free legal advice at 1 833‑REBÂTIR (1 833 732-2847).

If criminal charges are laid in your case, the prosecutor responsible will perform all the necessary actions in court during the criminal court process.

However, a judge may assign you the service of a lawyer, free of charge, to represent you in certain specific proceedings, for example if

• the person accused of the crime, or that person’s lawyer, asks the judge to obtain or use documents containing your personal information;
• the defence lawyer wants to present as evidence, at trial, information about your sexual behaviour that is not specific to the charges. 

You can report a crime even if you have no evidence apart from your own testimony. The offender can be found guilty based on your testimony alone.

In addition to your statement, the police will gather all available information showing that a crime was committed. If you have any evidence, you should present it to the police when you report the crime.

By reporting a crime to the police, you trigger the criminal justice process: a police investigation, the laying of charges if there is sufficient evidence against the suspect, a criminal trial, a verdict, sentencing, etc.

This process is the only way to obtain a criminal conviction. It can help establish the truth, break the silence and prevent the alleged offender from committing any more crimes.

The criminal justice system ensures that victims have access to measures to protect their safety and testimonial aids.

You can also benefit from the services of a prosecutor, assistance from the police and support from victims’ organizations.