June 5, 2014

We were relieved and pleased to see this week that the Government of Nova Scotia has reached a tentative settlement with the former residents of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children. We would like to acknowledge the tremendous courage and strength of the victims/survivors in addressing the issues of systemic racism and abuse. We hope that this settlement helps you all in your healing process.  Please know that together you have helped to break the shame and silence surrounding sexual assault/abuse.

We commend Premier Stephen McNeil and his government for their efforts in settling this case and for taking the issue of sexualized violence seriously. Their commitment to resolving this injustice, including the promise of a public inquiry, and their efforts in developing a Sexual Violence Strategy shows an understanding of the importance of believing victims and survivors when they disclose their experiences with sexual assault/abuse.