Montreal

Quebec gives Longueuil $625k to fight sexual exploitation

Longueuil will receive the funding over a five-year period as part of Quebec's larger project, Prévention Jeunesse.

Longueuil will receive funding over 5 years as part of Prévention Jeunesse

The funding will be used to improve current services and hire a co-ordinator for Longueuil. (Shutterstock)

The provincial government announced Friday it will invest $625,000 to fight sexual exploitation of teenage girls in Longueuil.

The funding will be used to improve current services, hire a co-ordinator and to finance on-the-ground work.

Longueuil will receive the funding over a five-year period as part of Quebec's larger project, Prévention Jeunesse. 

The city is one of five locations across the province that will receive funding under Prévention Jeunesse.

Quebec Municipal Affairs Minister Martin Coiteux says the money will help develop additional tools and bridge communication between community, police and institutional forces to stop the sexual exploitation of minors.

"The government wants to foster better co-ordination of actions to prevent, detect and act on sexual exploitation of young girls in Longueuil," Coiteux said in a statement.

The investment will also be used to give a second life to Projet Mobilis, a community-based program that fights the sexual exploitation of young girls, after its funding was cut in April.