Several sexual assault survivors and their allies took to the sidewalk out front of the 琉璃神社 RCMP detachment on Saturday to voice their concerns surrounding 琉璃神社鈥檚 high number of unfounded sexual assault reports.
As first reported in the 琉璃神社 on Oct. 25, Statistics Canada data shows the 琉璃神社 RCMP classified almost 40 per cent of sexual assault reports as unfounded in 2018. That number is more than double the 15 per cent average across the province and dwarfs the under five per cent averages in Vancouver and Victoria.
The protest, organized by two local rape survivors who had their reports deemed as such, Heather Friesen and Aden Withers, called for better officers, training and an external investigation of the 琉璃神社 RCMP. Currently, the RCMP鈥檚 Sexual Assault Review Team is in the midst of reviewing the numbers.
鈥淭he RCMP can not investigate itself,鈥� said Friesen.
READ MORE: Protest planned against 琉璃神社 RCMP鈥檚 high unfounded sexual assault numbers
READ MORE: 琉璃神社 mayor apologizes for initial reaction to sexual assault statistics
Donning signs reading, 鈥渞ape culture lives here鈥� and 鈥淩CMP serves and protects rapists,鈥� among several others, the protesters chanted at 琉璃神社 RCMP building. 鈥淲e represent the 40 per cent, we represent the 40 per cent!鈥� the group of around 25 shouted towards the detachment.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here protesting the rape culture within the 琉璃神社 RCMP,鈥� said Friesen, who was allegedly gang-raped when she was 15.
鈥淚 have had multiple women come up to me and tell me that the RCMP aren鈥檛 even willing to take their statements. The 40 per cent unfounded isn鈥檛 a true representation of what鈥檚 going on. So, I don鈥檛 believe 40 per cent is true 鈥� I believe it鈥檚 higher.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not here about me being raped; we鈥檙e not here about any of these women being raped. We鈥檙e here about the RCMP not doing their jobs.鈥�
Withers came to the protest with a red handprint painted on her face, representing missing and murdered indigenous women, a group which she said is heavily intertwined with and targeted by rape culture.
鈥淚 was targeted because I was part of the Aboriginal ministry,鈥� she said.
鈥淏eing targeted even with the white-passing privilege that I have opened my eyes to how Indigenous people of Canada are truly treated and it鈥檚 disgusting.鈥�
During the rally, Withers spoke of her experience reporting to RCMP, citing the brutal and victimizing questioning she endured, in which she was asked if she was 鈥渢urned on鈥� while she was raped.
Friesen, who has been very vocal since the numbers were released, taking on the RCMP and even the mayor, said she holds no shame regarding what happened to her.
鈥淢y rapists hold all the shame, my friends hold all the shame, the RCMP hold all the shame,鈥� she said.
In a Nov. 8 statement, the 琉璃神社 RCMP said it could not provide an explanation as to why so many cases were deemed unfounded.
鈥淲e understand that there are many questions about the roots of these statistics, and we鈥檙e taking immediate steps to get answers,鈥� said Cpl. Meghan Foster.
鈥淭he BC RCMP has conducted a preliminary review of these files, but we are currently not in a position to provide specific examples of why any of these investigations were deemed unfounded. For every investigation, there are many variables 鈥� each investigation is different and we do not want to deter any other survivors from bravely coming forward to report a sexual assault.鈥�
The RCMP has not given a timeline as to when the Sexual Assault Review Team鈥檚 investigation will be completed.
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