Organizations that help victims of sexual assault

Many types of resources are available for sexual assault survivors and their loved ones: hotlines, information and referrals, medical and psychosocial care, compensation, legal support, and more.

Resources operate differently from region to region. The best way to get directed to the right place is to contact the Sexual Violence Helpline directly.

The hotline identifies people’s needs and acts accordingly, whether that involves listening, providing information, or referring them to resources. The service is bilingual, free, anonymous, confidential, and available throughout Québec.

CALACS, or sexual assault help centres, work mainly with women and girls who have been sexually assaulted. CALACS and other organizations that help sexual assault survivors offer hotlines and psychosocial assistance through support groups and meetings with support workers. Many CALACS are members of the Quebec Coalition of Sexual Assault Help Centers (RQCALACS).

Member organizations of the Regroupement d’organismes québécois pour hommes agressés sexuellement (ROQHAS) offer services to men who experienced sexual assault as children or adolescents. They offer psychosocial assistance through a series of one-on-one or group meetings.

CAVACs exist in every region of Québec and offer services such as legal guidance and information, preparation for testimony, information on rights and recourses, and technical assistance.

On this hotline, prosecutors from the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) offer legal information about the criminal justice process to domestic and sexual violence survivors and the workers accompanying them when the former are reluctant to press charges.

The Rebâtir line offers free legal advice from a lawyer for sexual and domestic violence survivors, who can benefit from 4 hours of free advice in all areas of law related to the violence they have experienced.

IVAC’s mandate is to compensate victims of crime and rescuers. Compensation may vary from case to case. Several services are available to help victims and rescuers mitigate the consequences of a traumatic event and support them in their recovery process. In some cases, compensation may also be financial.

The Centre d’expertise Marie-Vincent supports children and adolescents who have experienced sexual violence, as well as children under 12 who display problematic sexual behaviours, by offering them the services they need under one roof.

The Director of Youth Protection (DYP) is the Québec agency that can intervene when a child is not safe or their development is in danger. A situation can be reported to the DYP at any time by phone or in writing.