Montréal – Human trafficking and sexual exploitation are heinous crimes, with far‑reaching repercussions for victims, survivors, their families, their communities, and society as a whole. The Government of Canada is committed to helping all victims and survivors of crime, including victims and survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, by working with partners to provide specialized services to these victims and survivors and foster a better understanding of their needs.
Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Francis Scarpaleggia, Member of Parliament for Lac‑Saint‑Louis, and Ronald Lepage, Executive Director of La Sortie (The Way Out), announced funding of $442,921 over three fiscal years (2023–2026) to La Sortie to support victims and survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the Montréal area.
This funding supports La Sortie’s Alternative to the Sex Industry Program, which offers guidance services to improve the physical, psychological, and socio‑legal well‑being of women in the Montréal area who are victims or survivors of human trafficking or sexual exploitation. Services include assistance and support, as well as training workshops on subjects such as self‑awareness and sexual reappropriation, based on image reconstruction and skills development.
This program is specially designed for young women who are not able to receive the support they require through drug rehabilitation centres or shelters for women impacted by gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence. Through La Sortie’s activities, participants develop their social and professional skills to improve their well‑being, stabilize their situation, find housing, and enter the workforce.
The Department of Justice Canada is supporting La Sortie under the Human Trafficking stream of the Victims Fund. The Victims Fund provides funding to support projects and activities that aim to develop new approaches, facilitate access to justice, improve the capacity of service providers, foster the establishment of referral networks and increase awareness of services available to victims of crime and their families.
La Sortie is a non‑profit organization that supports women who are or have been sexually exploited, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 35. Using a comprehensive, community‑based approach, La Sortie offers participants outreach and housing services aimed at social reintegration, prevention activities for individuals at risk of being sexually exploited, and activities to raise awareness of sexual exploitation.
“Human trafficking is a criminal act in which the vast majority of victims are women and girls. The investment we are making today in La Sortie will improve their access to justice and services and enhance their well-being. It will also support our national and provincial efforts to combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking as part of Canada’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.” – Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada