Elizabeth Grace Goes to Bat for Assault Survivors
Lawyers are urging the Ontario government to implement a select committee recommendation to get rid of laws that leave poor survivors of sexual assault with only a small portion of their cash entitlements when they win lawsuits against their abusers or arrive at a settlement.
Currently, Ontarians who receive benefits under the Ontario Works program are allowed to keep only $25,000 of their total court-awarded compensation for pain and suffering when they win personal injury cases, even if the case arises out of sexual assault. If they want to continue receiving benefits under Ontario Works, they must give the government the balance of their compensation.
Elizabeth Grace says her most vulnerable clients are receiving ‘second-rate’ compensation after enduring difficult and intrusive legal processes.