A new unit in the Montreal police service (SPVM) has been created to combat sexual exploitation with funding from the provincial government. Starting next week, 15 new members will be added to the force’s sexual exploitation section, which currently staffs nearly 50 officers. The new resources are funded by financial support announced in the spring by Quebec’s Ministry of Domestic Security as part of the Government Action Plan on Sexual Exploitation, the SPVM said in a news release issued Friday. “The creation of this unit will step up the fight against sexual exploitation, specifically on the Island of Montreal, while collaborating on criminal investigations with police forces in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada,” said the head of the sexual exploitation section, Cmdr. Frédéric Martineau, in the release. “We will be more effective, both in supporting victims and in tackling the pimps who exploit them, the clients who abuse them, and the predators who operate online.” The section, which has been around for almost 25 years, assists victims through the Les Survivantes program and by collaborating with partner organisations such as the Centre d’aide aux victimes d’actes criminels (CAVAC). The sexual exploitation section also collaborates with the SPHÈRES program, which supports people in Montreal between 12 and 24 years old who are being sexually exploited. Anyone who is a victim of sexual exploitation or knows someone who is a victim can call 911 or contact the SPVM anonymously by calling Info-Crime Montreal at 514-393-1133.
