A News Release from the Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre’s Child Victim Witness Program
Posted August 6th, 2026 on Niagara At Large
The Child Victim & Witness Program helps children navigate court and understand they are not to blame
Niagara Region, ON — One year after the Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre Niagara launched its Child Victim & Witness Program, the Centre is marking the program’s impact while flagging concern in regard to online luring and exploitation cases involving multiple young victims.
The Centre serves children and youth who have experienced physical or sexual abuse, neglect, online luring, or exposure to violence. Working alongside Niagara Regional Police Service and child protection partners (FACS Niagara), the Centre provides a safe,child-friendly setting for investigations and a coordinated path of support.
When criminal charges are laid and a case moves to court, the Child Victim & Witness Program steps in to provide each young person and their family with a dedicated support worker who shares information about what to expect during the court process, will accompany them to court, and advocates for their needs at a time that can be quite intimidating and emotionally overwhelming.
As is the case in most of Canada, the Niagara Region continues to experience a significant increase in court cases involving online luring. Now with the use of Artificial intelligence offenders have powerful new tools to deceive, manipulate and threaten children from creating convincing fake identities to augmenting pictures and videos.
The effects on victims in luring cases can be especially complex and long-lasting for a number of reasons. Young people may feel ashamed or embarrassed that they were manipulated into sharing images or personal information. Some blame themselves, believe they participated willingly, or do not recognize that they have been victimized.
The loss of control over where an image may be saved, shared or seen can also extend the trauma well beyond the initial incident. But truly, what has happened is that someone deliberately manipulated or exploited them. Our role is to remove that shame, reinforce that they are not responsible and make sure they have a trusted advocate throughout the justice process.
- Joanne Macri, Director of the Child Victim & Witness Program
The first year of the program has reinforced how essential consistent, specialized support is for young people involved in criminal proceedings. Children and youth supported by the program range from three to 18 years old and each requires an approach tailored to their age,development, communication needs and experience.
While the outcome of the case is important, how a child experiences the case is equally important. The Child Victim & Witness Program ensures young people have support to walk beside them and advocate for their needs. This step makes an extraordinary difference in helping children feel supported, believed and protected while allowing the justice process to move forward.
Fast Facts:
- Over the past year, 127 cases have been referred to the Kristen French Child
Advocacy Centre’s Child Victim Witness Program. (June 2025- July 2026)
- Those cases involve 191 children/youth victims.
- 91 cases continue, while 36 have been closed.
- Victims range in age from three to 18
- Of the 191 victims: Female: 55% Male: 45%
For more information about the Child Victim & Witness Program, how to access it or how to support it, visit http://www.kristenfrenchcacn.org.
Kristen French
About the Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre – Turning Trauma Into Triumph In communities across Niagara, we transform lives by providing a safe and supportive environment where children and youth can speak about their experiences to professionals, heal from adverse childhood experiences and build resilience so they can overcome the debilitating effects of childhood trauma.
Working collaboratively with the Niagara Regional Police Service, Family and Children’s Services Niagara, and numerous other partners, the Centre is a charitable, community supported organization that serves Niagara’s 12 municipalities helping children, youth and families cope with the life altering impact of physical or sexual abuse, neglect, or of being an unwilling witness to violence.
To learn more, visit kristenfrenchcacn.org
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