Our Story
From the beginning and at every stage of development, survivors’ voices and lived experiences have informed the development of our resources, our technology, how and where we show up in person and online. This isn’t just an exercise in research but having survivors and allies as members of the VESTA team.
Having representation internally ensures that we continue to learn and it embodies the ethos of “nothing for us, without us.”
From the start, the goal has been to create meaningful tools that draw from data, evidence and lived experiences. It started in coffee shops. One-on-one meetings with survivors sharing their experiences, interviews with support service providers, law enforcement, social epidemiologists, family, legal and community service providers. The goal is to understand the barriers faced by survivors and the challenges faced by those committed to supporting them.
We’re always learning. If you are a researcher and are interested in collaborating on a research project or want to share your research with us, book a session here.
If you want to know more about some of our past research efforts, click here.
A beta version of the application that would become VESTA Community was reviewed by experts in social services, law enforcement, criminal justice, privacy, and security. Taking a 360-degree view of the challenges faced by survivors, social workers, investigators, and prosecutors led to a system that balances the needs of survivors, decreases unintentional retraumatizing during the reporting process and leads to a more credible and reliable witness should charges be laid, and the case goes to trial.
If you’re a representative of an organization that would like to partner with us, see our Partners page or book an info session with us here.
At VESTA, we use innovative strategies and cutting-edge technology to empower survivors and create safer communities. Our team of experts is dedicated to providing unparalleled support and resources to help survivors heal and thrive.
VESTA is on a mission to end rape culture. We are harnessing the power of community and technology to lower the barriers to reporting, and to increasing and equalizing access to resources.
We envision a more equitable world. Our vision is that by ensuring individuals have agency, choice and equal treatment under the law, systemic change can and will occur.
Here’s our top 4 FAQ’s, for more questions and answers click here.
VESTA provides survivors with:
VESTA Community provides partner community agencies with:
VESTA provides partner law enforcement agencies with:
Integrating VESTA into your organization promotes a more positive outcome for survivors and creates safer communities for all.
The short answer is yes.
In Canada, there is no statute of limitations for sexual assault. If police are unable to locate an offender or opt not to press charges, that case will remain open and active.
If you report an incident of sexual assault, you are not obligated to move forward with a criminal case; however, you can still access support services to help with your recovery. Services include face-to-face counselling, legal and medical services, personal safety planning and public education.
Unsolved sexual assault cases are never closed.
Vesta Community is a mobile friendly web application that uses technology to facilitate and enhance Third Party Reporting (TPR). Third Party Reporting (TPR) or anonymous reporting of sexual assault has been adopted in different forms by police services and community organizations across Canada. TPR is a process which allows adult survivors to access support and to report details of a sexual assault to police anonymously, through a designated community program or trusted intermediary.
The intent or purpose of TPR is to create an alternate route for survivors who feel marginalized or have a fear of police to access the system and support services. TPR is not a substitute for 911, nor is it a police investigation. The goal and hope is that by using anonymous reporting tools, like Vesta Community, folks who wouldn’t usually reach out to support or social services, connect with someone who can help them, even if they DO NOT WANT TO FILE A POLICE REPORT. Survivors can still access local or virtual support, even if they don’t want police to know their names. TPR can then lead to an official police complaint once the survivor feels comfortable with sharing their story, but it isn’t a requirement.
Anonymous reports can also benefit community organizations and the police. Sexual assault and other forms of gender based violence are severely under reported. Community organizations, including police, cannot allocate time or resources if they are not aware that a problem exists. Anonymous data will help them allocate proper resources.
Vesta Community draws on academic and primary research in anonymous reporting, written response protocols, trauma informed interviewing, third-party reporting protocols in Canada and innovative, digital solutions developed around the world. Different forms of anonymous reporting exist around the world. It has been called blind reporting, restricted reporting, or third party reporting.
Vesta Community was developed and continues to improve with feedback from survivors, researchers, frontline organizations and sexual assault centers in Ontario, Canada.
We consider privacy, security, and data privacy to be critical components of our solution and are at the foundation of everything we do. We incorporate Privacy and Security by Design in all we do.
All records transferred and stored within Vesta Community use bank-level TLS 2.0 and AES-256 encryption technology. This encryption works by taking plain text and converting it into random characters. Even if our system was hacked, all the hackers would see are random characters.
Vesta exceeds privacy and security requirements in Canada and abroad, including PIPEDA, PHIPA and more. Our innovation is a cloud based solution with data centers located in Canada that are ISO 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2 certified.