A FINAL STATUS UPDATE REPORT IN RESPONSE TO: FORSAKEN – THE REPORT OF The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry December 2014 A FINAL STATUS UPDATE REPORT IN RESPONSE TO: FORSAKEN – The Report of The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry MESSAGE from the MINISTER Government’s response to the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (MWCI) report has been both a top priority for the Ministry of Justice and one of my personal priorities as Minister. The recommendations in the report have been a catalyst for a collaborative effort between government and other organizations that work to protect vulnerable women and girls in this province. We recognize that the families of the victims continue to feel the loss experienced by this tragedy and this, along with wanting to prevent any similar kind of incidents in the future, has kept us moving forward to take action. It has also guided our response to the recommendations and it was the reason for compensating the children of the women who are named in the MWCI Report. We hope this compensation will be used to enhance their lives in the present and future. Overall, the Province has taken significant action on the recommendations, with work underway or complete on more than 75% of them. We have put urgency on those recommendations that support responsive actions, such as expanding services, enhancing policy and practice, and increasing knowledge of service providers. Already, the results of these actions are improving the lives of vulnerable women across the province. While this may be our final official update report, I want to be very clear that this work will continue and must not end. The Province is committed to moving forward and continually improving the situation for vulnerable women in B.C. Our response to the recommendations is also connected to other work that remains ongoing such as the Provincial Domestic Violence Plan, BC’s Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and the BC Policing and Community Safety Plan. Our response to the MWCI Report has also led to our government’s greater commitment to a Violence- Free BC. Under the leadership of Premier Christy Clark, this long-term strategy will move our province towards our goal of being a place where all women have the supports they need to help prevent violence, to escape from violent situations, and to recover if they have been victims of crime. British Columbians deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities, and we will continue to press on with our efforts to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again. Sincerely, Honourable Suzanne Anton, QC Attorney General, Minister of Justice A FINAL STATUS UPDATE REPORT IN RESPONSE TO: FORSAKEN – The Report of The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry 1 A FINAL STATUS UPDATE REPORT IN RESPONSE TO: 2 FORSAKEN – The Report of The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry INTRODUCTION On December 17, 2012, Forsaken – The Report work and significant progress has been made. of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry To date, action has been taken on over three (MWCI Report) was released. The MWCI Report quarters of the recommendations directed discusses the findings of the Missing Women at the Province (44 of 56). Commission of Inquiry and outlines two urgent The purpose of this report is to outline actions, measures and sixty-three recommendations both ongoing and completed, that support for action. implementation of the MWCI Report Since its release, a substantial amount of work recommendations. These actions are organized has been undertaken to implement the MWCI within four major themes: compensation and Report recommendations and to enhance the healing, improvements to policing, safety for safety and security of vulnerable women in vulnerable women and supports in missing British Columbia. persons investigations. In addition to detailing our progress, this report will speak to current In November 2013, the BC government and future action that government is committed released a status report on activities underway to taking to address the broader issue of to respond to the recommendations. Since that violence against women in British Columbia. time, we have continued to build on this A FINAL STATUS UPDATE REPORT IN RESPONSE TO: FORSAKEN – The Report of The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry 3 PROCESS to ADDRESS RECOMMENDATIONS The initial work towards implementation of the process. Valuable input was received during this MWCI Report recommendations was informed process and the accumulated knowledge left by the feedback gathered by appointed government well-positioned to move forward champion, The Honourable Steven Point, and lead the response to the recommendations. through a broad stakeholder engagement ENGAGEMENT While government has taken the lead, work on An Expert Committee has recently been the recommendations has been a collaborative struck to look at recommendations related to effort. Government has engaged stakeholders police structure and funding. The committee in a number of targeted ways to ensure that is comprised of representatives from police actions taken are informed by their knowledge agencies, local governments, the BC Police and expertise. Association, and First Nations. An Advisory Panel will also be established to provide an Approaches to engaging with stakeholders arm’s length review and perspective on the and gathering input have been tailored work of the Expert Committee. to specific issue areas and recommendation themes. Well over half of the MWCI In addition to these engagement activities, Report recommendations directed at the a significant number of stakeholder groups, Province are related to policing and as such, including women-serving organizations, a fair amount of engagement and identified First Nations leadership and privacy groups action has been focused in this area. were invited to engage with government on the Missing Persons Act implementation and further To examine and determine actions on a number consultation is actively being coordinated, of MWCI policing-related recommendations, which will inform the development of associated government, in collaboration with the BC regulations. Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP), struck an Advisory Committee and funded a review Government has also implemented a to examine policing policies, procedures consultation process to gather input and advice and operational responses. To support from other key external stakeholders on the the development of provincial policing implementation of a number of policing-related standards, which are the subject of a series recommendations from the development of of recommendations, a standing Advisory cultural sensitivity training to standards on Committee comprised of police and non- missing persons investigations, and other police stakeholders, including Union of BC missing persons resources. Engagement Municipalities, Union of BC Indian Chiefs and opportunities are also being explored with the BC Civil Liberties Association was established respect to the recommendations in the and work on standards is underway. report regarding healing and reconciliation. A FINAL STATUS UPDATE REPORT IN RESPONSE TO: 4 FORSAKEN – The Report of The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry PRIORITIZING ACTION Due to the breadth and scope of the and advice from key stakeholders, to inform recommendations, efforts have been made our response to these issues. to prioritize implementation in a manner As well, some of the recommendations may be that supports responsive action and the addressed through work currently underway effective use of time and resources. As such, on other related recommendations. For example, recommendations related to services, policy and there are recommendations around the practice, training and other concrete actions creation of a provincial partnership committee have been prioritized. Information detailing the to facilitate collaboration in missing person actions taken on these recommendations is cases (recommendations 7.5, 7.10 & 7.11). included in the next section of this report. While government will not be establishing a There are also recommendations that have been provincial partnership committee, efforts to determined to be of lower priority and they facilitate enhanced collaboration on missing will not be acted on at this time. This includes persons cases are in progress in areas such recommendations that call for research projects as the development of provincial policing and feasibility studies, such as recommendations standards on missing persons investigations, 4.8, 5.6, and 6.5. Government will instead rely on the establishment of a Real Time Intelligence the current body of knowledge stemming from Centre and through other supports in missing recent studies and reports, as well as the input persons cases. GOING FORWARD Given that significant progress has been made that require further consideration and input since the Honourable Steven Point completed from stakeholders to determine the best course his work, a new champion will not be appointed. of action. As we carry on with implementing the Work will continue on the recommendations recommendations, we will continue to consult currently underway as more time is required to with our partners and key stakeholder groups complete them. Some recommendations are to ensure an effective and meaningful approach more complex and will take several years to to completing this work. implement. There are also recommendations A FINAL STATUS UPDATE REPORT IN RESPONSE TO: FORSAKEN – The Report of The Missing Women Commission