IVAC: Silent Aggressor – Understanding the Risks
- In Quebec,a man can be labeled a sexual aggressor by a government agency without being informed.
- But in the case of a little-known and increasingly popular program, it is indeed possible to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars from IVAC based on a simple...
- Sitting in his lawyer's office in June 2024, Stéphane* examines his income statement.
In Quebec,a man can be labeled a sexual aggressor by a government agency without being informed. The crime Victims Compensation Program (IVAC) dose not require a conviction,charge,or even a police investigation to compensate certain victims. And this is intentional, to protect victims of domestic violence who sometimes hesitate to file a complaint for fear of retaliation from their aggressor.
But in the case of a little-known and increasingly popular program, it is indeed possible to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars from IVAC based on a simple statement. And its operation raises many questions.
Stéphane’s Story
Table of Contents
Sitting in his lawyer’s office in June 2024, Stéphane* examines his income statement. Stéphane is a pseudonym used hear to protect the identity of his minor son. In a few days, his ex-partner and he will appear in court to set child support for their five-year-old son, a common exercise for many Quebecers.
While reviewing the financial statement provided by the mother of his boy, Stéphane comes across a legal document, the P-15
form. Under the cover page, he finds a letter from the Crime Victims Compensation Program (IVAC) addressed to his ex-partner.
It stated: “Decision regarding the right to financial assistance to help meet the needs of a child born as a result of a sexual assault.”
As its name suggests, this is a special benefit intended for women who become pregnant after being sexually assaulted.
I was shocked,speechless,says Stéphane. I thought: my ex is alleging that our child was born as an inevitable result of me sexually assaulting her. I did not sexually assault her.
“From the moment I read the content of this document…
« On est [juste] coupable, » dit Stéphane, en parlant de l’IVAC.
Par-dessus tout,il s’inquiète des effets potentiels sur son jeune fils.
Je ne peux pas m’empêcher de penser qu’un jour,mon fils va aller chercher le courrier,puis là,il va prendre une lettre de l’IVAC pour maman; il va savoir lire un jour.
« moi, je ne veux pas que mon fils pense qu’il a été conçu via une agression sexuelle, parce que c’est pas vrai. »
La Prestation pour enfant né d’une agression à caractère sexuel,
In 2021, Minister Jolin-Barrette led a major reform of the IVAC, which aimed to make the system more accessible. Today, 34,000 Quebecers receive benefits, double the number from five years ago. And the amounts paid have tripled: last year, the IVAC distributed nearly half a billion dollars in benefits and reimbursements.
90% of applications accepted
The program for a child born from an assault is one of the most accessible of the IVAC. The woman who receives this benefit does not need to prove that she is herself a victim, an essential step for other types of claims offered by the IVAC.
The one-page form – available on the
Sur déclaration seulement
We contacted the facts service of the IVAC posing as the mothers of one or two children resulting from different types of sexual assault. We asked IVAC staff if it was necessary to identify the perpetrator or provide proof of a police complaint to support the request. We were told that providing this information was not mandatory.
The representatives encouraged us to submit the documents you have
, such as, a psychologist’s report or a medical report. Then, IVAC staff analyzes the file
and sends its decision by letter a few months later.
This relatively simple process seems to align with the wishes expressed by the responsible minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette. When questioned in 2021 on
“There are many men in Quebec who are identified as abusers and don’t even know it.”
“One day, they will hit”
Stéphane and his ex-partner’s romantic relationship lasted four years. Both professionals were in their mid-thirties and openly discussed their desire to have a child.
“I wanted children,she wanted children too. It was a topic that was addressed quite quickly,” he says. “And on which both of us agreed. Our son was desired, wanted, planned.”
But the atmosphere deteriorated and conflicts eventually arose in the couple.
Stéphane readily admits he wasn’t always a good partner. He underwent therapy to learn how to better manage his emotions. The child is two years old when the parents separate.
“Our relationship had been struggling for some time,” he admits. “It’s for the best, to some extent, because I think it’s a good thing to offer a good habitat to a child. But it’s certainly a realization of failure at the family level.”
Stéphane describes his ex-partner as a “good mother” and himself as an attentive father.
“Being a father is the most stunning thing that has happened to me in life. I have a marvelous little boy, playful, dynamic, who loves life and has a quick wit. Like any father, I’m entirely biased when I talk about my son.”
He loves spending as much time as possible with his son, whom he has custody of half the time.
Et c’est très bien comme ça,selon la députée Christine Labrie.C’est pas tout le monde qui veut entamer un processus judiciaire après avoir subi une violence. Ces personnes-là doivent pouvoir exercer un recours[àl'[àl'[àl'[àl’IVAC]si elles le veulent. On n’est pas obligé de judiciariser toutes les situations.
Deux enfants sans consentement
Il existe des cas concrets pour démontrer les mérites de ce système d’indemnisation.
Quand elle a déposé ses deux demandes de Prestation pour enfant né d’une agression à l’IVAC, Marianne* n’a pas nommé son agresseur. Elle n’a pas non plus averti la police, parce que son ex-conjoint la terrorisait.
Marianne a vécu de la violence physique et psychologique pendant sa relation qui a duré 17 ans. Ses deux enfants sont nés dans un contexte d’agression sexuelle, dit-elle, Il me prenait comme il voulait, dans le fond. Dans la nuit,des fois,je me réveillais,puis il était là. C’étaient vraiment des relations sexuelles non consenties.
Lorsqu’un choc post-traumatique l’amène à se présenter à l’hôpital psychiatrique il y a huit ans, elle réalise son statut de victime. Elle commence alors ses démarches auprès de l’IVACMarianne was denied assistance by the IVAC (Victims of Crime Assistance Program) as she was an adult. She appealed the decision, arguing she was financially responsible for her children for many years.
“I had trouble providing for my children. I had to ask for help, food stamps, go to church basements. Why shouldn’t I be entitled to the retroactive amount?” she stated.
If successful, Marianne will receive an additional $90,000. The law provides half the amount for a second child compared to the first.
When asked what she did with the money, Marianne recalled, “The first thing I did was go out for breakfast at a restaurant. I said, ‘I can afford it.'” She continued, “When you’ve lived through a relationship like that, I think the need for security is so intense that I told myself, ‘nothing will ever happen to me again,’ so I made investments.”
A Recorded Conversation
to investigate the story of Stéphane and his ex-partner, investigators needed to get their responses to a sensitive question: What happened on the day leading up to the birth of their son?
At the time of the interview, Stéphane was unsure of the nature of the complaint, having not been contacted by the IVAC or the police.However, he remembered a conversation with his ex-Marc Bellemare has represented thousands of clients in proceedings before the IVAC. Several of his own clients have claimed – and obtained – the Child Born of Assault Benefit. For him, the program is necessary and meets a need.
But because it is one of the most easily accessible programs of the IVAC and generates meaningful costs for the state based on a simple declaration,the lawyer believes that the IVAC should be more vigilant.
“There is surely a flaw there.[…] This type of compensation should be subject to much more scrutiny than others, solely as once you are eligible, no more questions are asked. The check goes out for about twenty years.”
The same sentiment comes from Daniel Gardner, a law professor at laval University and a specialist in public compensation schemes. He believes that the risk of abuse is not nil and must be taken into account. And,at the same time,he wonders what the right questions to ask are.
“There are people much more competent than law professors to ask thes kinds of
Quebec Father Questions Double Child Support Payments
A Quebec father is questioning why his ex-spouse receives $818 CAD per month from the Quebec government’s Criminal Injury Compensation Board (IVAC) in addition to court-ordered child support, despite sharing 50% custody of their son. The father, who wishes to remain anonymous, believes the additional payment effectively results in his ex-partner receiving two forms of child support.
According to a report by Radio-Canada, the father already pays court-ordered alimony intended to cover his son’s needs. He stated, “It’s like she’s getting two child support payments. One from the father and then a benefit from the IVAC.”
“I provide for my child’s needs. So, I question, I wonder: why this amount?”
The IVAC provides financial assistance to victims of crime. the program was established to help cover expenses related to injuries sustained as a result of criminal acts. the father suggests the program’s original intent did not anticipate such overlapping benefits.
Quebec’s Justice Minister,Simon Jolin-Barrette,acknowledged the issue in a statement to Radio-Canada. He indicated the government is reviewing the program to address potential inequities.He stated the current situation “is not what was envisioned when this system was put in place.”
As of January 29, 2026, the Quebec government has not announced any changes to the IVAC program. Further information about the IVAC program can be found on the Quebec government’s website: https://www.quebec.ca/en/families-and-support-for-individuals/financial-assistance/criminal-injury-compensation