Child sex abuse allegations highlight need for immediate help on reserve: NDP
OTTAWA — The issue of sexual abuse in indigenous communities, documented during an investigation by The Canadian Press, was raised in the House of Commons on Tuesday, where the federal government faced pressure to commit $155 million more to improve child and family services for children on reserves.
A number of leading experts including researchers, former Truth and Reconciliation chairman Sen. Murray Sinclair and the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations have flagged the issue of sexual abuse and incest in some indigenous communities.
There is no way to protect vulnerable children without appropriate resources, NDP indigenous affairs critic Charlie Angus said Tuesday, noting discriminatory underfunding practices by the federal government were confirmed last January by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
Two compliance orders from the tribunal have been issued following its original findings.