Montreal police revise process for sexual assault claims
Police officer not involved with investigation must take fresh look at unfounded sexual assault cases
After an internal review, Montreal police say they have revised the process for how they handle sexual assault claims since February.
A new measure is now in place for claims that are classified as unfounded, said police. A sexual assault complaint is designated unfounded when an investigator determines no crime occurred.
Police said when a sexual assault claim is deemed unfounded, a police officer not involved with the investigation must take a second look at the case.
While police didn't reveal how many cases had been reviewed since February, they said not a single investigation was reopened.
In October, police had also set up a hotline for sexual assault victims in the midst of a spate of publicized accusations against some members of Quebec's entertainment elite.
The hotline closed in early November after the number of calls dropped.
Police emphasized that they take all sexual assault claims seriously, adding that frontline workers with Montreal's Crime Victims Assistance Centre (CAVAC) work with their team.
With files from Radio-Canada