BY SPECIAL REQUEST

The following letter was sent to me, via e-mail. They have asked that a copy of this letter be posted on the BIBRI website in hopes that it may reach those who will choose to participate. I encourage you, as always, to use caution when contacting ANY organization. While BIBRI does not endorse any particular research organization, I do hope you will take the time to read their request, and using your best judgment, decide whether or not to respond. Remember, our voices are the key to LIVING life. We must use them wisely, to speak the truth we feel inside our hearts and minds.

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE

A Project to Explore the Consequences of Civil Litigation and Compensation For People Who Have Been Sexually Abused or Assaulted

We are a group of researchers, working in London, Ontario, Canada at the Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children. Right now, we are starting a research project to learn more about the experiences people have had with the civil court system, when they brought a law suit against someone who sexually assaulted or sexually abused them. We are trying to reach every person in CANADA who has received a judgment in a civil case about a sexual abuse or sexual assault in the past ten years. If you have done so, please read on.

We would like to ask you, and the other people we contact, to participate in a telephone interview, so that we can learn more about how well the civil court system worked for you. We are interested in finding out through this interview, how your needs and expectations were met or not met by going to civil court, (and whether or not you had the support you needed during this time). We will also ask you how you feel about your court experiences now, and if you would tell other people who have been assaulted or abused to go to civil court. With your permission, we would then like to ask your lawyer a few questions about your case.

We hope that our work in this project will help other people who are sexually abused or assaulted, and to make an informed decision about whether or not to bring a civil suit against the person who abused or assaulted them. We will try to help people who have been abused or assaulted by making the information available to the general community. We will also publish the results of this research in academic and professional journals that will be read by lawyers, therapists, health care workers and social workers, so that they can better assist future clients. To find out more about who we are and what we do, please visit our web site or contact our Centre directly. All the information is listed at the end of this letter. Our research is funded in part by the Ontario Law Reform Commission, the Canadian Bar Association and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Please let us begin by telling you that at no time do we need to know your name or address. We can use the initials with which you were identified at trial and in the case report, or we can use any other name or identification you choose. Any information you may want to give us that might be used to identify you will be kept under lock and key and destroyed after the project is complete.

The interview will take about an hour. We will do it by phone to preserve your privacy. You can choose where and when you would like us to telephone you. If you would prefer to do the interview in person, we will make every effort to arrange a personal interview. If you would like, you can have a friend or supporter with you during the interview.

During the interview, if we ask any questions you would rather not answer, you can simply skip those questions. Please be assured that the interviewer will not try to pressure you to answer any question. The interviewer will make every effort to help you feel comfortable during the interview. We will also give you numbers you can call if you would like to talk to someone after the interview.

When you contact the Centre, we will send you a consent form that we would like you to sign if you are willing to help us with this project. You may sign it with your initials only, so that you can remain anonymous. This consent can be withdrawn by you at any time during the project if you wish. When you are certain that you would like to participate in an interview, please return the signed form to us at the address listed below.

Please feel free to discuss our invitation with anyone you like before deciding to participate. Some people find it helpful to talk about their experiences. For some people it helps to get things off their chest. Sometimes talking things over with a stranger can also increase understanding. However, other people would rather not think or talk about the past and can find an interview or conversation about past experiences upsetting. Before you decide whether or not to help us with this study, think about how you might be affected. We do not want to cause you any distress or discomfort.

If you would like more information about the project, or if you would just like to talk to us about this invitation or about something else related to the project, you can contact one of us, anonymously if you wish, at the numbers given below. Just call collect and identify yourself as a potential subject in the Civil Justice Project. If you prefer, you can e-mail either of us directly with your questions or concerns.

We hope you will decide to participate in the research and we look forward to hearing from you.

Yours very truly,

Bruce Feldthusen, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
Olena Hankivsky, Acting Director, Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children, London, Ontario

Phone: (519) 858-5033 Fax: (519) 858-5034 Address: 240-100 Collip Circle, U.W.O. Research Park, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8
E-mail: urpvio@julian.uwo.ca

Web site: http://www.uwo.ca/violence/index.html

Updated: September 17, 2002