2008 Report Card on Status of Women in New Brunswick

When it comes to the numbers on violence against women, there's plenty to be alarmed about.

Almost four in 10 adult offenders convicted of sexual assault in New Brunswick were given conditional sentences in 2005-2006. The rate for Canada was less than two in 10.

Conditional sentences were not as popular for other violent crimes -- it was given to one in 10 adult offenders in our province, one in 20 nationally.

It is one of the more startling statistics in the 2008 Report Card on the Status of Women in New Brunswick published this month by the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women.