The number of sexual assault reports labelled unfounded in Muskoka is less than originally reported.
A Globe and Mail article in February claimed over half of the reports in Muskoka over five years were labelled as unfounded. But, an OPP review found between 2010 and 2014 Bracebridge actually had 37 per cent or 57 reports deemed unfounded and Huntsville had 28 per cent or 34 reports.
Central Region OPP Director of Operations Superintendent Jim Smyth says a limited labelling system used by the OPP and Statistics Canada led to the higher than usual percentages.
Smyth says for many of these reports unfounded didn’t properly represent the reason the investigation was closed. He says the OPP is working on updating this labelling system.
After the Globe and Mail article was released, Smyth says OPP officials spent months reviewing over 5,000 reports of sexual assault in the province deemed unfounded between 2010 and 2014. He says over 400 of those reports were reviewed further and then 12 were reopened for investigation. Since then one of those investigations has led to charges. Smyth says he isn’t able to confirm if any of these investigations are in the Muskoka area.
Looking ahead, Smyth says officials are creating a sexual assault investigation review committee for each of the OPP regions in Ontario.
The committee members will have full access to sexual assault investigations to review how each one is handled by officers. Smyth says they’ll be looking for victim support experts from each community within Central Region to be a part of this committee. The OPP is also hiring a Staff Sergeant for each region that will strictly focus on working with officers investigating sexual assault crimes.
Smyth says the OPP is also looking at using review committees for other major crime investigations.
There are currently two Sexual Assault Safe Centres set up for Central Region in Orillia and Barrie. Victims of sexual assault in Muskoka can use these centres to meet with police and medical officials rather than having to visit an OPP detachment or hospital. Smyth says they’ll be using a $150,000 provincial grant to expand services at these centres.
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