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.

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 assists the victims of domestic or sexual violence?

If so, you can get answers to your questions from a specialized criminal and penal prosecuting attorney (prosecutor) working for the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (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.

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:

• criminal harassment;
• threats to cause death or bodily harm to someone;
• fraud;
• 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 first be investigated.

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

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 prosecuting attorney 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 prosecuting attorney 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 receive their reports of crimes they have suffered or witnessed. The police investigate and then submit the case to 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 does not provide direct assistance.

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

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

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

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

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

You won’t pay for the prosecuting attorney's fees.

Knowing the role of the prosecuting attorneys with respect to victimes of crime

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 provides 4 hours of free legal advice at 1 833‑REBÂTIR (1 833 732-2847).

If criminal charges are laid in your case, the prosecuting attorney 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 when prosecuting for sexual assault;
• 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 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 other 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 prosecuting attorney, assistance from the police and support from organizations helping victims.