About the Service Division 41

Child Abuse Unit

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History of the Unit
Unit Mandate
Other Important Facts

History of the Unit

The Winnipeg Police Service Child Abuse Unit has been in existence since the early 1980’s. It was developed to meet the special challenges of interviewing young victims and then bringing their cases successfully to court. Over the years, the Child Abuse Unit has worked closely with Manitoba Justice, Child and Family Services and the Child Protection Centre to develop an effective partnership in that endeavour.

Unit Mandate

The Child Abuse Unit investigates the following types of incidents:

Child deaths or incidents where children sustain serious injury.
Physical assaults on children under the age of 18, committed by a parent, guardian or person in a position of trust and authority.
Sexual assaults on children under the age of 18, committed by a parent, guardian or person in a position of trust and authority.
Sexual assaults on children under the age of 14, not committed by a parent, guardian or person in a position of trust and authority.
Physical or sexual assaults on adults deemed “vulnerable persons”.
Internet Luring investigations.
Sexual assaults that are historical in nature.

Other Important Facts

Members of the Child Abuse Unit work closely with Child & Family Services and are mandated to notify them of all reported child abuse cases (under the provincial Child & Family Service Act [english] [français]).
Cases are investigated on a priority basis, with individual and public safety issues taking precedence, followed by investigative considerations such as the need to preserve evidence, etc.
Interviews of child victims are generally videotaped. At times, those videotapes may also be used to form part of the child’s testimony, thereby reducing the stress of court.
With the limited personnel resources of the Child Abuse Unit, there is often a delay in interviewing the victim. However, the interview will be conducted within 3 months of the first disclosure.

If you wish to speak with a member of the Winnipeg Police Child Abuse Unit, you may do so at 204-986-6378.