May 4, 2022 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) – A new legal program designed to help Albertans who have been the victims of sexual violence has been launched by Calgary Legal Guidance.  Funded by the Government of Canada, this 4-year project provides free legal advice and support from a lawyer and an advocate specializing in responding to trauma and helping people navigate the legal and court systems to ensure their safety and their rights are protected when they’ve been the victim of a sexual assault.

“Too often survivors of this kind of violence are re-victimized through the legal system as they are forced to tell their abuse stories over and over, and justify their experience as a victim,” says CLG Executive Director, Marina Giacomin.  “This program will help them make decisions about how they want to heal from the assault, and sometimes that means not going through the stress of the legal system.”

It is suggested that 1 in 3 females/female identified individuals and many males will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.  The new Sexual Violence Legal Advice project of Calgary Legal Guidance will help many of these survivors gain some power and self-efficacy back as they connect with a free lawyer to ensure their rights are protected. For more information about this or any of the free legal services Calgary Legal Guidance provides for “no, and low- income” Albertans, please call us at (403) 234-9266.