Laval runaways spur new funding to fight sexual exploitation of minors

The Quebec governmenthas announced new measuresaimed at preventing the sexual exploitation of teenage girls in Laval following a string of runaways from a local group home.

The announcement comes as the government faces growing criticism over cuts it made last year to programs helpingvulnerable youth.

The measures for Laval arepart of a larger project announced Tuesday calledPrvention Jeunesse, which will be set up in five areas around the province at a cost of$3 million over the next five years.

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Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux andLucie Charlebois, the minister responsible for youth protection, made the announcement Tuesday morning in Laval.

Coiteuxtold reportersPrventionJeunesse would allow local communities to identify their own priorities. In the case of Laval, the focus will be on sexual exploitation.

The money will go mainly toward hiring a co-ordinatorto bridge communication betweenpolice, social workers and other officials.

"Here in Laval, it aims at putting all the partners together to work against the sexual exploitation of young women," Coiteux said.

"It's a program that's really aimed at preventing, and it's a program aimed athelpingto get more convictions [of pimps]."

Five teenage girls linked to the Centre de Jeunesse de Laval have run away since late last month.Four of them have been found and one is still missing.

Experts have raised concerns that the disappearances pointto a larger problem involving the trafficking of young girls into prostitution.

Not enough to address 'major crisis:' PQ

ThePartiQubcois was quick to slam the measures introduced Tuesday.

MNA Jean-Franois Lise said it took a "major crisis" for Premier Philippe Couillard's government to take a "minor step" to address the problem of sexual exploitation of teen girls.

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In particular,Lisesaid it will do little to preventstreet gangs and pimps from using social media to lureteenage girls into prostitution.

Earlier this week, opposition partyQubecSolidairecalledon the province toreintroduce funding for programs aimed at cracking down on sexual exploitation.

MNA Manon Mass saida $1.4-million, three-year program that helpedseveral organizations working with vulnerable youthwas scrapped byPremier PhilippeCouillard'sgovernment in 2014.