Winnipeg victims of crime have high hopes for bill of rights

Victims of crime are having their say as Canada's new Justice Minister visits Winnipeg.

Peter MacKay is travelling across the country to shape a new Victims of Crime Bill of Rights.

A Winnipeg woman whose son was beheaded on a Greyhound Bus in 2008, has high hopes for the bill.

Carol de Delley was invited to be part of the discussion. Her son's killer, Vince Li , was found not criminally responsible.

She said Tuesday that outcome still leaves many questions.

"As the defence attorney in our case clearly stated at our last review board hearing, that there was no crime committed here," she said. "Vince Li is not a criminal. Does that make me a victim of crime or not?"

She said more resources need to be put into services for victims.

"When I think about the millions of dollars that they have spent on one offender, and what they provide for victims, there's a really, really big imbalance," she said.

"I'm not concerned about re-integrating the offender back into society. I'm more concerned with helping victims get back to their lives," she said.

Justice Minister Peter MacKay said, he's listening.

"We've heard anecdotally that victims, far too often, come out the other end of the process feeling like they've been re-victimized, feeling that they were not afforded the information that they needed," he said.

Few specifics were available on what the bill will do, but MacKay promised there will be changes "to give victims a greater sense of inclusion, respect and dignity. And some of the practical elements that we'll attach to this bill are guarantees of information."

The bill is to be tabled in the fall.