Ontario pledges $2.5M for domestic violence victims

Aug. 25, 2005. 12:10 PM

FROM CANADIAN PRESS

LONDON, Ont — Social Services Minister Sandra Pupatello says $2.5 million will be spent to help victims of domestic violence get counselling in their local communities.

The money is earmarked for shelters and community agencies to address waiting lists and gaps in service for francophone, aboriginal and disabled women and those in rural areas.

It will pay for the counselling to help women and children overcome the effects of abuse, and is part of the government's four-year, $66 million domestic violence action plan.

Pupatello, the minister responsible for women's issues, announced the 10 per cent increase in funding for the domestic violence counselling program in London.

She says counselling is critical to helping women and children regain control over their lives after leaving an abusive situation.

Earlier this year, a provincial report found cases of domestic violence in Ontario are often predictable and preventable.

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