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By Ben Tompkins

Witness Specialist

New Melfort victim services program to play significant role in upcoming James Smith inquest

May 23, 2023 | 3:27 PM

The Government of Saskatchewan has invested $134,000 into a new victim witness specialist and part-time administrative support for Melfort and the surrounding area.

The addition in Melfort is set to be an essential support during the upcoming inquests into the James Smith and Weldon tragedy.

“While the position was not created to support victims at inquests, the Saskatchewan Coroners Service and the Ministry recognize the significant impact the James Smith Cree Nation homicides had on the victims and their families, as well as first responders and the community as a whole,” said the office of Bronwyn Eyre, minister of justice and attorney general.

“The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is considering how to best use this important new resource as part of its onsite support plan for the January 2024 inquest,” they added.

The victim witness specialists will support children and other vulnerable victims and witnesses who are required to testify in court and help reduce fear, anxiety and further trauma.

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They will also provide advice and training to police-based victim services programs regarding court orientation and support for adult witnesses.

“The addition of this position in Melfort will ensure that these services are available for vulnerable victims and witnesses in the area.”

The new victim witness specialist will bring the total number in Saskatchewan to eight, with the other seven located in La Ronge, Meadow Lake, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Regina, Saskatoon and Yorkton.

The victim services position in Melfort is permanent, and the provincial government is currently working on finding an appropriate office space for the position.

“Each of the victim witness positions is responsible for a service region that includes multiple court points, such as orientation and preparation. The addition of the Melfort region will ensure these services are available and accessible in east-central Saskatchewan,” explained Eyre’s office.

“More generally, Victims Services ensures that a range of services are available to meet the needs of victims of crime through both the justice and law enforcement systems, as well as community organizations.”

The $134,000 increases the total investment in the provincial victim/witness services program from $656,000 in 2022-23 to $790,000 this year.

The funding for the new positions will come from the Victims’ Fund, which is the main support for victims of crime in Saskatchewan, through revenue from victim surcharges paid by offenders on federal and provincial offences.

In 2021-22, approximately $13.1 million was spent from the Victims’ Fund to provide a wide variety of services for victims in the province, including support for people experiencing domestic violence and families of missing persons, and compensation to victims for costs incurred as a result of violent crime.

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news@northeastnow.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8