Filing a complaint with the police

Who can file a complaint with the police?

You can file a complaint with the police if you have been the victim or witness of a crime.

When to file a complaint with the police?

There is no deadline for filing a complaint with the police. It is preferable, however, to contact the police as soon as possible, because proof that you were the victim of a crime will be easier to gather. Some offences must be reported to the police within a short time period so that charges can be laid.

How to file a complaint with the police?

Contact a police station or dial 911 for information on the complaints process.

The police will decide whether or not to investigate your complaint. If the police do decide to investigate your complaint, an investigator will examine the case and follow up on it with you.

If the investigator thinks that a crime has been committed, the investigator will forward your file to the criminal prosecutor.

The prosecutor is a government representative responsible for instituting a lawsuit against anyone suspected of committing a crime. It’s the prosecutor who will decide whether or not the person you have filed a complaint against should be charged with a crime.

Effects of filing a complaint with the police

If the person you have filed a complaint against pleads guilty or is convicted of the crime, the person will be punished according to the seriousness of the crime committed.

You have the right to file a complaint with the police

No one has the right to threaten you because you filed a complaint with the police. It is also forbidden for anyone to try to force you to drop your complaint.