Going into the courthouse can be a traumatizing experience for children and youth who are the victims of or witnesses to a crime, but a Vernon advocacy centre is allowing them to testify in a safer space.
The Oak Child and Youth Advocacy Centre recently celebrated a key milestone in providing trauma-informed services when it successfully used remote testimony for a child witness.
Remote testimony, or the use of an "accommodation room," is the practice of having vulnerable victims and witnesses testify from a safe and secure space in the community instead of at the courthouse. Remote testimony allows victims to participate in the legal system while lowering the risk of system-induced trauma, the centre said in a press release Friday.
The Oak Centre has served more than 1,250 children and youth with an average age of just 12 years old. The centre identified remote testimony as a project it wanted to pursue in 2022, in response to children's experiences in the Vernon courthouse.
"The Vernon courthouse lacks safe spaces for vulnerable victims and witnesses," said Brooke McLardy, Oak Centre's director of community programs. "Victims routinely cross paths with the accused when entering or exiting the building, in hallways, and when accessing the public washrooms. This leads to trauma, and the feeling of loss of safety, during a time when it is important they have the opportunity to clearly share their experiences with the court."
Launched in 2022, the Oak Centre remote testimony project gained momentum when the Interior Savings Community Investment Fund provided funding towards purchasing specialized equipment in April 2023. Oak Centre worked to create a process that met the needs of the court, including reliable linkage to courthouse technology, while also developing a comfortable and safe space for victims and witnesses.
Recently, the centre hosted the first youth to testify from its accommodation room.
The request came from a court outside the North Okanagan which had used remote testimony in other cases.
"The process was seamless, allowing for smooth courtroom procedure, and ensured the physical and emotional safety of the youth," Oak Centre said. "The youth was able to avoid travel, the unfamiliar environment of a courthouse, and was able to have the support of the local victim service worker they had been working with since coming to (Oak Centre)."
The youth was also able to have accredited facility dog Cirque at their side while they testified.
"Overall, it was a positive experience for the client, and a great example of collaboration between systems, for the good of the client," the centre said.
The centre says remote testimony is a proven success and has been used in various locations across B.C., Alberta and other parts of Canada. It is growing in popularity due to its trauma-informed approach, and the centre said it is excited to be able to offer this service to other victims and witnesses.
"Our commitment to supporting victims remains unwavering," McLardy said. "The implementation of remote testimony is a critical tool in helping survivors of trauma navigate the legal process with dignity and support. We're excited to see this model being embraced across the province and country, and hope to see that trend continue."
Archway Society for Domestic Peace is the administrative agency for the Oak Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, which is a partnership of multiple North Okanagan-based agencies formed in 2012.
