B.C. ministry ordered to hand over records in alleged domestic violence privacy breach | CBC News

WARNING: This story contains details of sexual abuse and ​​​intimate partner violence.

British Columbia's privacy watchdog has sided with a woman suing the provincial government and its victim assistance program over an alleged breach of her sensitive files.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) has ordered B.C.'s Ministry of Public Safety to hand over the names of two government employees allegedly involved in the breach, including one accused of accessing sensitive files detailing alleged physical and sexual abuse without authorization.

The woman sought services at the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) after her husband allegedly physically and sexually abused her over several years, according to the lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court last year. Her CVAP file included police statements and other information about her and her children, the suit said.

None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been tested in court.