VANCOUVER — A new report from British Columbia's representative of children and youth says an alarming number of girls have been the victims of sexual violence while in the care of the provincial government.
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's report finds that at least 121 children and youth experienced sexual violence between 2011 and 2014.
Most of those children were female and 74 were aboriginal girls, which Turpel-Lafond says shows that this group is particularly vulnerable.
Turpel-Lafond says the numbers are disturbing because they are young people who in many cases are already traumatized and whose protection is the responsibility of the government.
Sixty-one per cent of the victims were aboriginal, despite the fact that aboriginal girls made up only about 25 per cent of the total children in care in B.C. during the time period of the review.
Female victims who were 12 or younger were four times more likely to be indigenous than non-indigenous, while those between 13 and 18 were twice as likely to be indigenous.
