The Saskatoon Sexual Assault and Information Centre says a lack of provincial funding has led the group to cut one of its key services.
Staff and volunteers with the group will no longer be sent to hospitals to support people who receive rape kits, a spokesperson for the charity says. The demand for the service is rising, but funding from the provincial government isn’t keeping up.
“Cost of rent increases, cost of everything increases, and so, when funding stays stagnant, it’s hard for us to continue to evolve our services or even just continue with our own status quo,” said Megan Evans, with the centre.
The provincial Ministry of Justice says it’s aware of the sexual assault centre’s concerns and pressures. It’s committed to working with the centre to address the needs, a ministry spokesperson said.
