British Columbia to expand victim support services with $3 million grant

British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma announced that a $3 million federal grant will be used to expand services for victims of intimate partner violence and other serious crimes. The funding will facilitate the hiring of three additional family court support workers across the province and support a public awareness strategy regarding intimate partner violence.

Part of the grant will be directed toward the ‘aunties program’ through Indigenous justice centres, which provides specialized services for Indigenous victims and survivors. This initiative follows a 2025 review by Dr. Kim Stanton, which identified systemic barriers and complexities within the court system that hinder the understanding of victims' situations.

Sharma, speaking in Terrace, noted that intimate partner violence and sexual assaults remain significantly underreported. The provincial government is also implementing the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative (ReVOII), which coordinates efforts between prosecutors, police, and parole officers to prevent recidivism.