67 FAMILY VIOLENCE AWARENESS A VAO may include the same conditions as an EPO. It may also include parenting conditions and any other conditions the judge orders. A Victim Assistance Order can: • Give you exclusive access to the family home for a set period. • Remove the person who harmed you from the home immediately or by a specific time. • Grant police supervision so you can safely remove personal belongings from the home. • Remove personal property from the person who harmed you. • Prevent publication of your name and address. • Temporarily remove decisionmaking responsibility or parenting time from the person who harmed you. • Grant supervised parenting time to the person who harmed you. • Include any other requirement the judge orders. A Victim Assistance Order can order the person who harmed you: • To stay away from specific places like your home, workplace, or school. • Not to communicate directly or indirectly with you. An example of communicating indirectly is asking a friend to give you a note. An example of communicating directly is sending you an email or trying to talk to you in person. • Not to take, sell, or damage property. • Not to commit more acts of violence against you. • To make rent or mortgage payments on the home. • Not to end basic services of utilities. How do I get a Victim Assistance Order? Applying for a VAO is a legal process. It is a good idea to talk with a lawyer for advice and help. You may want to hire a private lawyer. Family Legal Aid may provide you with free legal representation for some family law issues. To qualify for legal aid, you must meet certain criteria. Call Legal Aid to see if you qualify for this service or not. The RISE Program offers legal information, support, and up to four hours of free legal advice from a lawyer. You can also request a VAO kit from Victim Services. The kit was created by the Department of Justice and Public Safety. Criminal Code of Canada The Criminal Code of Canada is the federal law that outlines most crimes and their punishments in Canada. It is a crime for someone to: • Threaten you. • Harass you. • Damage your property. • Hit you. • Physically hurt you. The Criminal Code of Canada outlines that family violence can result in the following: • Criminal charges against the person who caused harm. • A peace bond. • An undertaking. FamilyViolence Laws continued continued
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