For eight years, Melissa felt like the luckiest woman in the world. Now, Melissa says she and her family should be eligible for financial help through Quebec's victim compensation program because what happened to them has left them struggling, psychologically and financially. With help from the Crime Victims Assistance Centre (CAVAC), Melissa applied for IVAC compensation, even though she knew she would be rejected. Dire need of reformThe IVAC program hasn't been updated since its creation in 1972, when the Crime Victims Compensation Act became law. "Often IVAC favours a restrictive interpretation of the Crime Victims Compensation Act, applies it rigidly or imposes conditions not found in it," the report notes.

Source: CBC News May 23, 2019 09:00 UTC