well Advocates are calling the Peter knard sentencing case in Toronto a historic ruling but they add that more needs to be done especially when it comes to supporting the victims the scars and the wounds uh don't just heal over and heal themselves Peter nyard was handed an 11-year sentence on Monday after being convicted last November on four counts of sexual assault his team says they plan to appeal the sentence and conviction but for now though the Toronto trial may be over Advocates say life doesn't just simply move on the challenges of everyday regular life that are also so very much affected by the trauma of what nigar did to them or or what any abuser has done to anybody Shannon is a therapist and Advocate who worked with survivors in the Toronto case as well as other women in upcoming nyard cases she says there needs to be more funding and overall support to help victims we have many survivors who are really living at or below the poverty line psychological supports therapy counseling you know in Ontario we don't have we don't have public health funding for therapy and that's just just wrong Jennifer Hoffman says she herself was violently sexually assaulted by niggard over 20 years ago she is from the US but came to provide support for victims who are part of the trial in Toronto because for her she knows just how important it can be for someone to simply be there by showing up and sitting there and saying I see you I believe you I'm here for you and we're going to get through this and Hoffman also says it's okay if the path to Healing looks different from person to person when we ask for a bit of support if if we're able to say you know what I can't do this alone and I don't really know what that looks like but I think I'd like to share that with somebody and maybe that somebody that you share that with is going to help you find your next step for Shannon one of her messages she wants to convey is that Society can help by deciding to step up and speak up if you don't like how your dollars are being spent as a taxpayer as a citizen then you've got to let somebody know about that get uncomfortable to make others comfortable and for Jennifer if it takes you 10 years if it takes you 15 years if it takes you 30 years if it takes you your entire life you should still be able to tell even when it feels like you're all alone in this you don't have to be AIA ball City news