INCREASE CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION CAP TO $4 MILLION - RUNCIMAN
Toronto - Progressive Conservative Attorney General critic Bob Runciman (MPP Leeds-Grenville) today announced he will table Private Member’s legislation this fall that will address long-standing complaints about the treatment of victims of crime by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
Runciman outlined the key components of his bill at a Queen’s Park press conference today. They include:
- Increasing the lump sum payment cap to $4 million.
- Requiring the Board to make decisions within 180 days.
- Requiring Board to make interim payment within 14 days of receiving notice
- Imposing statutory obligation on police to inform victims of right to apply for compensation.
John Muise, Director of Public Safety, Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness, described the legislation as a “good step forward in dealing with problems at the Board.”
The press conference was also attended by Kien Trung Lam, a shooting victim who is a quadriplegic as a result of his injuries.
“The Louise Russo case was the catalyst for the cap increase” said Runciman. “No one who suffers catastrophic injuries from a criminal act should have to resort to negotiating with the perpetrator of the crime. Victims should not be put in the position of having to agree to lighter sentences in order to be adequately compensated.”
Russo was shot and paralyzed in a botched assassination attempt. The men convicted in the shooting paid out $2 million in compensation as part of a plea bargain deal.
