Victim Support

• Distress Centre of Ottawa:  613-238-3311
• Mental Health Crisis Line: 613-722-6914
• Assaulted Women's Help line Ontario 1-866-863-0511 
• Unsafe at Home Ottawa (COVID-19 cellphone text support)
• FEM'AIDE (ligne de soutien pour femmes violentées) 1-877-336-2433 1-866-860-7082 (ATS) 
• Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre 613- 613-562-2333 
• Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 
• Youth Services Bureau (crisis chat) 613-260-2360
• Sexual Assault Support Centre 613-234-2266 TTY 613-725-1657 
• Talk4Healing is a culturally grounded, fully confidential helpline for Indigenous women available in 14 languages all across Ontario. Call 1 855 554 HEAL (1-855-554-4325). 
• Crisis Support Helpline for Abused Women Ottawa 613-745-4818 (English) or call 613-745-3665 (French) 
• Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Violence 1-866-887-0015
• 311 Ottawa (dial 311) City Operations Information line provides information about accessing emergency services and provides municipal government resource information (e.g., shelters and financial assistance). 

If you are in immediate danger or are aware of a crime in progress, please call 911. 

For non-emergencies please call our Police Reporting Unit at 613-236-1222, extension 7300 for help to make a police report over the phone.

If you are uncertain as to which community support you should access, please visit the 211 directory or call 211 to be connected with a Certified Information and Referral Specialist who has been trained to assess your needs, answer your questions accurately, and advise you about the services and programs that are best for you and your loved ones.

The Canadian Victims Bill of Rights establishes a set of principles to support victims of crime throughout the justice process. It requires that victims be treated with courtesy, compassion, and respect for their personal dignity and privacy. The act solidifies the importance that victims' rights be considered throughout the criminal justice system; that consideration of the rights of victims of crime is in the interest of the proper administration of justice; and that the federal, provincial and territorial governments share responsibility for criminal justice. The Victims' Bill of Rights also specifies that victims should have information about:

• Services and remedies available to them;
• Financial compensation that might assist them;
• The progress of police investigations that relate to the crime;
• The charges laid with respect to the crime, and if no charges are laid the reasons why;
• Procedures of the court and the victims' role in the prosecution;
• Dates and places of court proceedings, and the outcome of the proceedings including any appeals;
• Any pre-trial arrangements made with the accused that relate to a plea entered at the trial;
• The release of an accused on bail; the sentence given to an accused, if convicted; a decision that the accused is unfit to stand trial; their right to submit a victim impact statement; and
• Notice of any application for the offender's release, a notice if the offender escapes.

For more information, please visit the Correctional Service Canada's Information for Victim's website or you can visit the Ministry of the Attorney General's victim services page.

If you are a Victim, you can register to receive specific information about adult offenders.

The toll-free number for the Victim Support Line is 1-888-579-2888, or 416-314-2447 in the Toronto area. The automated notification system will provide victims with information on offenders serving their sentences.

• An offender has been admitted to or released from custody
• An offender is unlawfully at large
• A parole hearing date has been set
• The OPB decides to deny Parole; The OPB decides to grant Parole
• An offender is under unescorted temporary absence
• A release decision has been rescinded
• The unlikely event of an escape happens
• An offender is readmitted to custody
• An offender is transferred to another jurisdiction.

613-238-2762

Ottawa Victim Services (OVS) provides emotional support, practical assistance, referrals and advocacy to individuals who have been victimized as a result of a crime or tragic circumstance, without judgment in order to lessen the impact of victimization. OVS is a community-based agency committed to treating individuals with courtesy, compassion and with respect for their dignity, privacy and diversity.

1-866-863-0511

The Assaulted Women's Helpline is a free, anonymous and confidential 24-hour telephone and TTY crisis telephone line to all women in the province of Ontario who have experienced any form of abuse. AWHL's team of trained counsellors provide crisis counselling, safety planning, emotional support, information and referrals accessible 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is an independent advisory agency that provides advice to the Attorney General of Ontario on victims' issues.

The OVC also produces a handbook called “Have You Been a Victim of Crime? What's next…Information and Resources for Victims of Crime in Ontario.” This handbook is produced for victims of crime and the people who support them. It includes information about victims' rights, places to go for help, and the criminal justice system. This information will help victims understand what to expect and how to ensure their rights are respected. You can access this link to get a copy of the handbook.

Crime Victims Assistance Centres, or CAVACs, offer front-line services to any crime victim or witness. Help from CAVACs is available whether the perpetrator of the crime has been identified, apprehended, prosecuted or convicted.

The Ottawa Police Service Victim Support Unit can assist with connecting victims of crime to the Victim Quick Response Program + (VQRP) Provincial program which provides eligible victims with emergency funds for certain expenses immediately following a violent crime. The Victim Quick Response Program provides short-term financial support toward essential expenses for victims, their immediate family members and witnesses in the immediate aftermath of a violent crime to help reduce the impact of the crime, enhance safety and meet immediate practical needs that are a result of the crime. VQRP+ is available to individuals who have no other financial means (e.g. private insurance) where there is no publicly-funded program available. 

The program is also accessible through Ottawa Victims Services at 613-238-2762.

• Eligible applicants can access supports for critical needs such as:
• Emergency home safety expenses (e.g. window repair)
• Practical assistance expenses (e.g. basic necessities)
• Travel and related expenses (e.g. to medical treatment)
• Crime scene clean-up (e.g. removal of hate-crime graffiti)
• Short-term counselling services
• Supports required for serious injuries
• Basic funeral expenses and other financial support for families of homicide victims

Parents of Murdered or Missing Children – Income Support Grant

The death or disappearance of a child is devastating and can leave parents unable to work. Parents or legal guardians who have taken time away from work and suffered a loss of income to cope with the murder or disappearance of their child or children may be eligible for federal income support.

Toll-free: 1-800-622-6232 TTY: 1-800-926-9105 

The Victim/Witness Assistance Program

Ottawa Courthouse, 161 Elgin St Fourth Floor, Ottawa | 613-239-1229

If you are a victim or witness of a violent crime, it is likely that you will need to go to court. This can be a difficult and confusing experience and you may have a lot of questions about the criminal court system, and what will be expected of you. The Victim/Witness Assistance

Program (V/WAP) is a service provided on a priority basis to victims and witnesses of violent crimes, vulnerable victims such as domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, elder abuse, homicide and hate crimes. The services begin once police have laid charges and will continue until the court case is over. In addition, victims with special needs families of victims of homicide families of victims of traffic fatalities resulting in criminal charges.

Child and Youth Witness Support Program

The Child Victim/Witness Program offers support and services to child victims and witnesses during the criminal court process.

This program provides support to children and youth (and their families) who are required to provide testimony in criminal court.

Services include: 

• Preparing children for court (includes court procedures, roles of court personnel, courtroom tours etc.)
• Communicating with Crown attorneys, defence lawyers, and other justice personnel
• Accompanying children to court
• Support for parents and guardians of the youth and children
• Help with victim impact statements and other
• Service referrals
• Post-court follow-ups

More information: To access child and youth witness support services or if you would like more information, please the Support Worker by telephone at 613-233-8478 or by TTY at 613-233 1866.

The Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre (ORCC) supports and empowers trans and cis women, trans men, two-spirit, gender-fluid, and non-binary survivors.

The Sexual Assault Support Centre provides survivor-directed support services by womyn, to womyn who have experienced sexual violence. We strive to increase public awareness and offer training on the issues and effects of violence against womyn.

Voice Found provides support and services to persons who have been sex trafficked or wish to exit the sex trade in Eastern Ontario.

The VAW Counselling Program at the Western Community Resource Centre Violence Against Women Program provides individual and group counselling to women aged 16 years or older who identify themselves as having been sexually, physically or emotionally abused by their partners or significant others (could be caregiver or other immediate family/household member). Services are delivered in person or over the phone. 

The Eastern Ottawa Community Resource Centre Violence Against Women Program offers services to women and children whose lives have been affected by abuse. This program is available to women and children residing in Ottawa and Renfrew County and is free, bilingual and confidential.

For emergency medical services within six months of sexual assault and/or intimate partner abuse. The Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program at the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus includes services for people who have suffered sexual assault, sexual exploitation, dating violence or intimate partner violence within the past six months. 24 hour emergency medical response is available on site at the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus at 1053 Carling Avenue, emergency department. Outpatient services are accessible by self-referral, referral by health professional and/or our community partners. Call 613-798-5555 x 13770 to book an appointment.

Minwaashin Lodge provides a range of programs and services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and children (regardless of status) who are survivors of domestic and other forms of violence, and who may also be suffering the effects of the residential school system. All programs and services are provided in the context of cultural beliefs and values to ensure a holistic approach is used as part of the healing journey. 

Tungasuvvingat Inuit is an Inuit-specific service provider that provides social support, cultural activities, counselling and crisis intervention as a one-stop resource centre to meet the rapidly growing, complex and evolving needs of Inuit. Counsellors and advocates support women aged 16 and over, and their children who are involved with CAS and/or affected by violence. 

Immigrant Women's Services empowers immigrant and visible minority women in the City of Ottawa to participate in the elimination of all forms of abuse against women. To provide a culturally responsive crisis counselling service and a language interpretation service which will facilitate an abused woman's access to community and mainstream services. To provide other services and/or programs that will assist immigrant women in their journey to attain their full potential.

Le CALACS francophone d'Ottawa est un organisme féministe, géré et opéré par et pour les femmes. Dans ses revendications pour la justice sociale, il dénonce les agressions à caractère sexuel et lutte pour l'égalité et les droits des femmes. Il offre une multitude de services aux femmes survivantes et il s'engage activement à la prévention et la sensibilisation dans la communauté

If you are experiencing abuse from an intimate partner, the Neighbours, Friends and Families provides information and describes steps you can take to protect your safety and the safety of your children, as well as how to develop a plan to leave. 

At your request, police representatives visit your home (house, condo, apartment, etc.) to provide a safety audit - assessing ways to make your home safer. The audit is based on a checklist, and participants are provided with a booklet that identifies safety improvements, provides crime prevention tips and promotes other crime prevention initiatives offered by the Police Service. 

Tech Without Violence focuses on working towards improving the lives of young women and girls, in particular, by creating a strategy, in partnership with the Youth Service Bureau of Ottawa's Purple Sisters Youth Advisory Committee, that can help transform digital spaces to be empowering and challenge and eliminate instances of cyberviolence.

Shelter Safe finds shelters in Ontario serving women fleeing intimate partner violence.

• Canadian Centre for Child Protection: The Canadian Centre for Child Protection is a national charity dedicated to the personal safety of children. Our goal is to reduce the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, assist in the location of missing children, and prevent child victimization.
• Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime: Provides support, research and education to survivors of serious crime and stakeholders in Canada
• National Office for Victims of Crime
• Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime
• Assaulted Women's Helpline: The Assaulted Women's Helpline is a free, anonymous and confidential 24-hour telephone and TTY crisis telephone line to all women in the province of Ontario who have experienced any form of abuse. AWHL's team of trained counsellors provide crisis counselling, safety planning, emotional support, information and referrals accessible 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

• Government of Ontario Guide: What to do when someone dies
• Office of the Chief Corner, Ontario: For information on Death Investigations and local Coroner's offices
• Bereaved Families Ottawa: Provides peer support groups offer safe and supportive spaces to be in grief, to share and to learn. Peers help reduce the isolation that many people experience in grief, provide connection & living examples that healing is possible. Provides referrals to other community resources as well as private practitioners and literature.
• Roger Neilson House: Bereavement Support is available for families who have experienced the death of a child. We offer a safe and healing environment. Our philosophy is to accompany families through their grief journey.
• Canadian Mental Health Association: “Understanding and Coping with Loss and Grief”
• The Dougy Centre: Provides educational materials about children and grief.
• Compassionate Friends: Support groups for families who have lost a child
• Kids Grief: Is a free online resource that helps parents support their children when someone in their life is dying or has died. It equips parents with the words and confidence needed to help children grieve life's losses in healthy ways.