JAIL, NOT BAIL — PROTECT CHILDREN

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call on the Government of Canada to strengthen bail rules in serious child sexual-offence cases so children are protected and courts can better account for public safety.

Children deserve strong protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. Offences against children can cause deep and lasting harm, and when an accused is released too easily, the risk to the complainant, witnesses, and other children can remain very real. Bail decisions must respect the presumption of innocence, but they must also give serious weight to safety, accountability, and the need to prevent further harm.

Canadian law already allows detention when it is necessary to protect the public, including anyone under 18. What is needed now is a clearer, more child-focused approach in serious cases involving sexual offences against children.

We therefore call upon the Government of Canada to:

1. Review the Criminal Code’s bail provisions concerning adults charged with serious indictable sexual offences against persons under 18;

2. Establish, where consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a reverse-onus rule requiring an accused charged with specified serious child sexual offences to show why detention is not justified;

3. Require detailed judicial reasons whenever release is granted, explaining how risks to the alleged victim and other children will be controlled;

4. Establish presumptive, individually tailored conditions, including no contact with the complainant, no unsupervised contact with minors, and appropriate Internet restrictions in online-exploitation cases, unless the court explains why they are unnecessary; and

5. Support specialized risk assessment, bail monitoring, enforcement, and timely victim notification.

Protect children. Strengthen accountability. Put public safety first.