Minto council advocates for stronger protections for children across Canada
MINTO – The City of Welland sent out a call for action on justice for and protection of Canada’s children, which Minto heard and supported at the town’s latest council meeting.
The letter came to council as correspondence and the item was pulled for further discussion by councillor Paul Zimmerman.
The call to action endorsed a resolution noting the following:
– the safety and well-being of children is a fundamental responsibility shared by all levels of government;
– recent incidents involving sexual offences against children have deeply affected communities across Ontario and Canada, raising serious concerns about public safety and the adequacy of existing legislative protections;
– violent sexual crimes against children represent some of the most serious offences under the Criminal Code of Canada and have lifelong impacts on victims, families and communities;
– municipalities play a critical role in advocating for policies that protect residents and promote safe communities; and
– there is a growing concern that gaps in bail, sentencing, parole eligibility and offender monitoring allow high-risk individuals to re-enter communities pre-maturely, placing children at continued risk.
“I feel very strongly about this,” Zimmerman said.
The letter urges all levels of government to review and strengthen legislation and policies related to violent and sexual offences against children. The listed requests include:
– ensuring individuals charged with or convicted of violent sexual offences against children are subject to the strictest possible bail conditions and sentencing outcomes;
– limiting parole eligibility, statutory release or other forms of early release for offenders convicted of sexual offences against children who pose ongoing risks to public safety;
– strengthening the National Sex Offender Registry and related provincial tools to improve accuracy, enforcement and timely access to information for law enforcement; and
– prioritizing the protection of children and community safety in the justice system above administrative or procedural efficiencies.
Zimmerman noted that although “we don’t want it to happen in Minto, it might.”
Council approved Zimmerman’s request to send a letter of support to local MPs and MPPs, the Rural Ontario Municipal Association and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Mayor Dave Turton and councillor Geoff Gunson were absent.
