A Victoria woman is giving sexual assault survivors a new path in the aftermath of violence, with a new self-collection kit.
鈥淭he paceKit offers an option to those who typically would not report their assault,鈥� said Chloe Hunt of Fourwords Solutions, the kit鈥檚 creator.
鈥淥ur goal is to provide an option for evidence collection regardless of geographical location or circumstance and increase reporting particularly in rural and remote areas of the province.鈥�
The paceKit was created to be a compassionate alternative for victims of assault. It was developed by Hunt in collaboration with law enforcement and legal professionals. It is a self-collection kit used to provide victims with privacy while collecting evidence from the assault.
Hunt began rolling out the paceKit with a pilot project launched in Trail, B.C., last month that has since expanded to Terrace. In select B.C. cities, the kits will be offered by community-based organizations in conjunction with local RCMP to coordinate custody of the kit regardless of whether the victim chooses to report their assault immediately or not.
鈥淚deally, we would like survivors of sexual assault to report to the police and take a sexual assault kit at the hospital with a qualified person, as that is the best evidence,鈥� said Insp. Terry Gillespie with Terrace RCMP.
鈥淗owever, we understand that some may not be ready to come forward to the police or a doctor, and the paceKit is another option for those who want to collect and preserve evidence but aren鈥檛 ready to move forward with a report to the police.鈥�
B.C. has the highest rate among provinces of women reporting sexual assault since age 15, with 37 per cent. In 2019, sexual assault had the lowest rate of reporting of any crime evaluated by the General Social Survey, with only 6 per cent of incidents reported to police.
鈥淔ew people report sexual assault and change needs to happen,鈥� said Hunt.
鈥淲e acknowledge the criminal justice system is not a route everyone wants to take, but we believe people should at least have the option regardless of where they live and their life experiences.鈥�
