Jane Bates, Nunavut’s Representative for Children and Youth, said Tuesday that nothing has been done by the territorial government to address the child sexual abuse crisis in Nunavut in the three years since she sounded the alarm in 2021. (File Photo)
‘That is staggering’: Children and youth representative sounds alarm over child sexual abuse
Jane Bates tells territorial committee that numbers have gone up 400 per cent in recent years
Three years after declaring child sexual abuse in the territory had reached a crisis level, Nunavut’s Representative for Children and Youth says nothing more has been done since then to solve the problem.
Jane Bates made that accusation Tuesday, speaking on the second day of a two-day televised hearing of the legislative assembly’s government oversight committee, reviewing her office’s annual report for 2022-23.
Bates noted that the Family Services department director’s annual report on family wellness for 2021-22 reported 518 referrals of child sexual harm that fiscal year, or about 10 per week.
In March 2020, the then-Family Services minister said her department was receiving about two calls per week regarding child sexual abuse.
That means that since 2020, “the numbers have increased by 400 per cent,” Bates said, adding she has reason to believe the numbers are even higher due to reporting issues or lack of information on referrals in some regions.
“That is staggering. I came here in 2021 and spoke about the child sexual abuse crisis and to my knowledge no plan has been put forward to address the crisis.”
She added, “I have not been consulted about putting forward a plan to address this. I find that very concerning.”
In the past, the issue has been brought forward to the legislative assembly or the committee “but then nothing happens,” Bates said, and yet based on the information her office has “the situation is spiralling out of control.”
Noting Bates’ view that the data provided to her was inaccurate, Iqaluit-Manirajak MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone called the rates of child sexual abuse in Nunavut “alarming.”
Systemic issues involving record keeping in the Family Services Department have been reported multiple times in the past.
Lightstone asked Jonathan Ellsworth, deputy minister for the Department of Family Services, if he could verify the report’s numbers.
“I cannot verify the accuracy of those numbers,” Ellsworth responded.
He said he believed the numbers were low, and “I do think it does paint a picture of the fact that there are issues around this very serious matter of child sexual abuse.”
Iqaluit-Sinaa MLA Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster said “I think that it is really important that that we take a focused approach to addressing the crisis of child sexual abuse.”
“The crisis at family services has been years in the making and there is not going to be a quick fix,” Bates said.
“I am always open, willing and able to offer my office’s expertise in terms of sitting down and developing a [child sexual abuse] plan.
“Keeping in mind, any plan that is put forward must be on a continuum. There must be prevention, intervention and post-intervention.”
“In the past, the issue has been brought forward to the legislative assembly or the committee “but then nothing happens,” Bates said, and yet based on the information her office has “the situation is spiralling out of control.”
How many Departments could this be said of? Health? Education? Justice?
About 12,000 or 1 out of 3 Nunavummiut is under the age of 15. If there was 500 referrals for sexual harm in 1 year that means a child in Nunavut has a 4% chance per year of being the victim of a sexual assault and those are only the cases that are reported! That is absolutely mindboggling. Sick sick sick! So many pedophiles walking around the streets that belong in JAIL doing HARD TIME.
I wonder what the true numbers are? There are parents that will get their children to lie, for some reason they think it’s better to protect the abuser over a child. Mind boggling.
That is very sick parent protecting the abuser? where in the heckS mind are the parents? Take the children away from those homes and of course from Parents . BRING THEM TO SAFE HOMES.
The deeper you get into this issue the worse it becomes. There are many examples of adoptions of children by known abusers.
And did you report these abusers to the RCMP? Or, did you just not want to be involved?
‘Lightstone asked Jonathan Ellsworth, deputy minister for the Department of Family Services, if he could verify the report’s numbers.
“I cannot verify the accuracy of those numbers,” Ellsworth responded.’
The next two questions should have been:
1. How long have you been DM of Family Services?
2. What have you done to obtain accurate numbers?
What this makes very clear is the GN structure renders the Deputy Ministers powerless. Their role is to serve their Minister, not to run their department.
Some ADMs and some Directors are trying to make things work, but they are not allowed to change anything. If you keep doing the same thing, you will continue to get the same results.
Other ADMs and Directors, having recognized the futility of trying to improve from within, have choosen to manage their little empire for their own benefit, since they cannot do anything that will benefit those their department is intended to serve.
The truth is that government can’t fix this problem. Government can only offer counselling assistance and can apprehend when absolutely necessary, However, the only people who can “fix” the problem are the indigenous parents and communities.
Pedophilia is a brain thing, but it is not a behaviour.
The behaviour of abusing children cam be learned and can happen by abusers who aren’t pedophiles.
Hurting children is never ok.
What’s even more sad is that those children become adults and perpetuate the cycle, if we did a show of hands on how many adults in Nunavut were once those children, I’m sure there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the room. The ministers and governments inaction on this is appalling and they should be ashamed of themselves.
Child sexual abuse rates in Nunavut go up by 400 percent and the Executive Director of NTI tilts at proverbial windmills trying to get a 90 plus year old priest on his deathbed back to Canada to face trial for a historic sexual abuse case. Shameful.
Notice how NTI likes to remain silent on taboo matters that affect their own ?. Would they have gone to such lengths and measures to try and track down that priest if he was an inuk?
How many pedofiles have become respected elders in our communities? How many pedophiles are repeat offenders get released by judged who have a soft spot for gladue?
Save. The. Children.
Bro, he’s dead okay… no one is trying anything
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it. Make the Canadian sex offender registry public!
Unlike in the United States, we are unable to know if adults have already been convicted of previous sex crimes. The Canadian Sex Offenders Registry, as of now, is only available to law enforcement, making it private and hard to obtain by Canadian citizens. Why is the sex offender registry unavailable to the public? Do Canadian citizens not have the right to know if they are living next to a registered sex offender? Do we not have the right to ensure safety for ourselves, our families, and our children?
Not only is this issue related to child predators, but also involves ANY sex offender convicted of sex crimes, this includes sexual assault, rape, and much more.
I think the one reason that the registry is not open to the public is the lives of these predators would be at risk when some other whacko wants to do him in. I know that does help,but, I suspect that is the case.
Maybe if the courts ACTUALLY gave an appropriate sentence for these types of offences it would help. Instead of treating offenders as victims and treating victims as …….basically nothing.
I am certain that there are many more unreported cases of sexual abuse in Nunavut and the rest of the world. Children are threatened and sworn to secrecy in most cases. Often they are not believed by their relatives when it is reported, Many are told not to say anything as it would bring shame to the family. If they do speak out they are often ostracized by some membesr of their family and community. Due to the nature of the crime, many victims are too ashamed and scared to speak about it as the abuser (s) are good at putting the blame on the child. The child believes the adult. Remember, a child and young adult does not have the maturity to cope with that.
Children are not born pedophiles. It is a learned behavior. Not all children who get sexually abused become pedophiles by a certain percentage do. So the cycle gets perpetuated generation to generation. This has been going on in all cultures and places in the world since time began. We have an uphill battle breaking that cycle. Cases need to be reported, children need professional help to help heal them so they do not go on to be abusers themselves. Pedophiles need to be incarcerated but also get the appropriate help so when released they do not continue their behavior. Left untreated victims of child abuse cannot function to their best in society and will carry those scars all their lives and act out and suffer in many ways. Llets stop the cycle of abuse and this matter seriously!!! lets get our heads out of the sand and face the issue seriously
typo correction BUT a certain percentage do, and all places in the world, but also need to get the appropriate
Could someone please help me understand why Family Service and NRCY in Nunavut are not collaborating to ensure the safety of children in the territory? Instead of just voicing their opinions to the territorial committee, why aren’t they reaching out to each other for assistance? Is there a power play happening where one organization is trying to silence the other? What concrete actions are being taken to address the issue?
It is the NRCY’s job to report on the GN’s failings NOT to do the GN’s work for it.
Our Premier should be ashamed and removed!
Time for new leadership that actually cares enough to do the job warts and all instead of just posing for pictures and making announcements he and his government are too incompetent to fulfill.
Accusation. Her statement is not a accusation. It’s fact. Nunavut has the highest rate of child sexual abuse in Canada. Every hamlet in the territory has abusers. Yet they are allowed to live among the population. Without being called out as an abuser. They are allowed to prey on children. With impunity. When they are finally charged they go court. And there plea is I was abused in residential school. Or it’s due the impact pf colonialism. That’s B.S.. They are deviant’s that should be shown no mercy.
How can any society allow this to continue. Children are the most defenseless
of the population. Wake up look at what’s happening. Are you blind or just don’t care.
Putting the blame on colonialism and residential schools is a sad deflection. These certainly had impacts, but to justify such heinous acts because of intergenerational trauma is playing the victim card where the only victim is the child getting abused. Blaming these is akin to saying that sexual abuse was non-existant prior to these events. Bunch of Baloney. Agree with the poster above: MAKE SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRIES PUBLIC LIKE IN USA.
Fun Fact: It seems sexual assault and rape related crimes are the least investigated and punished crimes in all of North America.
Given this fact, it might be good if those blind in one eye (to their own tribes wrongdoings) in terms of this type of crime do a little navel gazing of their own, rather than pile on Inuit as somehow an anomaly in humanity.
Did you even read the article?
Just did a quick research (and you might do the same). Pedophilia is NOT A LEARNED BEHAVIOR. Every piece I just read indicates it’s likely a neurological disorder.
John that’s easy to say. It’s endemic in Nunavut. It’s not new an behavior. For many generations it’s been accepted. Into to Inuit culture. Now that it being bought from the darkness into the light. You quote studies that say it’s an neurological order.
Just as many studies determined pedophilia as learned behavior. The perpetrators
abuse a child. No consequences for the abuse. So it becomes to the abuser as normalized. That’s learned behavior. Ever heard of the Stockholm Syndrome. Face facts.
This is so alarming but I am not surprised our officials haven’t done anything about it. There are whispers of who to avoid or not leave your kids with but no one ever contacts the police or shun them from the family- we need to bring this back for the protection of the children! Or the traumas will live onto the generations to create issues such alcoholism or mental illness. I do not understand how our Inuit organizations not are stepping up too, many levels of organizations need to address this. It’s disturbing and people need to WAKE UP.
Inuqatiik, do not support pedos or help hide them, bring them to justice for the sake of the KIDS. They deserve the upmost safety. Let’s help STOP THEM. lastly, like someone up in the comments, the justice systems need harsher punishments.
It a terrible problem and like many problems we have in Nunavut the GN is not addressing the issues. What do our GN leaders do anyways besides collect big salaries and welcome visitors to the gallery! A very frustrating government.
Delbert, I am not arguing with you at all. I am just saying that when I googled “what causes pedophilia” the majority of the responses were that it was likely a neurological disorder.
I am not an expert on the topic, I just stated what I read.
Pedophilia is not the only reason for child sexual abuse.
And 84% of Nunavut males randomly and coincidentally are afflicted with it… 99% rate for Elders.