Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, with Eric Kingsley of Montreal-based youth group Sun Youth, speaks during a roundtable discussion with victims and survivors of violent crime in Montreal, Monday, July 11, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes Victims of violent crime told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Montreal on Monday that they need more support from the federal government. Trudeau, who did not take questions from reporters, met with several victims of violent crime as part of a roundtable discussion organized by Sun Youth, a Montreal-based community organization. After meeting the prime minister, Alexandra Simon says she told Trudeau how she was struggling to find help leaving a violent pimp. “It’s really hard to get services, so I felt really alone,” she said in an interview. “When I called the shelters, they said they couldn’t help me because it wasn’t domestic violence … but it’s the same thing — it’s violence.” She said more support was needed for those trying to leave the sex trade, adding that she was pleased the prime minister took the time to speak to her and others in the community. One man who met with Trudeau said men who are victims of crime need more services. After a violent home invasion that left him in hospital, the man, who asked not to be named because the people who attacked him have not been arrested and he fears retaliation, said he was unable to return home. He said while he has been left without money or a place to stay, he has not been offered a safe place to live and has not been able to see a psychologist or other mental health professional since his attack. Betty Emmanuel, who left an abusive partner, said she would like support for children growing up in abusive homes. “You can’t expect (Trudeau) to do everything at once, and he’s been very honest about that,” she said in an interview. “But he was here, that’s No. 1 — that he was present, that he heard, that he heard and that we talked.” Eric Kingsley, director of emergency services at Sun Youth, the Montreal community organization that organized the event, said it was important that Trudeau heard the stories firsthand. “He will remember speaking to these people, the pain they had and the struggles they still have because of these violent situations.” Before the meeting, Trudeau gave a brief statement to reporters. He said solving the problem of violence cannot be done by the federal government alone, but will require cooperation with community groups, municipalities and provinces. “I know the situations you’ve been through as individuals have been extremely difficult, and I want to applaud your courage and strength in coming forward with your stories so I can better understand what we’re facing as a country and make sure I do what’s necessary to address it,” Trudeau told attendees.
