British Columbians need to know that if they are a victim of crime, help is just a phone call or click away - all day, every day throughout the province.

That's why a public service awareness campaign will run throughout the month of March to promote VictimLink BC, a confidential and multilingual referral service available by phone or online to all victims of crime.

Advertisements will be placed on transit buses in Metro Vancouver, Abbotsford, Mission, Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops, Nanaimo and Prince George, as well as on SkyTrain and Canada Line trains in Metro Vancouver. British Columbians will also be able to view these PSAs in the weekend print editions of the Vancouver Sun and Province newspapers and online for the entire month.

The Province's goal is to reach victims of crime who have not yet accessed the justice system by raising awareness about the support and services available through VictimLink BC.

VictimLink BC helps victims of violence and abuse access a network of more than 400 programs throughout British Columbia funded by the Ministry of Justice and other service providers.

Quotes:

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond -

"VictimLink BC provides an important service to those British Columbians who are victims of crime, and we need to be proactive to help ensure that people who require assistance or support know how to get the help they need. That's why this awareness campaign is so important."

"I'd like to recognize the great work VictimLink BC has done since its inception in 2003. Nearly 100,000 British Columbians have received assistance either over the phone or online as a result of this valuable service."

Executive director of the BC Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse, Don Wright -

"For the past 23 years, the BC Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse has provided recovery options for boys and men who have been either sexually abused or sexually assaulted. VictimLink BC serves as a vital community resource to direct clients to our services. We believe that the VictimLink BC awareness campaign will help us to reach more male survivors of sexual abuse."

Quick Facts:

• VictimLink BC assisted more than 10,800 people in 2011-12 and more than 96,000 people since 2003.

• The VictimLink BC toll-free line has provided assistance to victims of crime since 2003.

• The website launched in July 2010: www.victimlinkbc.ca

• VictimLink BC has a number of printed resources available for distribution, including multilingual posters and wallet cards in nine languages.

• All funding for the VictimLink BC awareness campaign was provided by the Department of Justice Canada through the Victims Fund.

Learn More:

To connect with VictimLink BC, call: 1 800 563-0808 or visit: www.victimlinkbc.ca

For information about Victim Services and crime prevention, go to: www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/victimservices/

To view the newspaper advertisement for the awareness campaign, visit: http://flic.kr/p/dYu9hi

For the transit advertisement, go to: http://flic.kr/p/dYANXb

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961