Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT)

The Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT) is a non-profit founded by a group of Toronto doctors, lawyers and social-service professionals, many of whom were associated with Amnesty International.

They had begun to see survivors of torture in their practices as early as 1977. Many of the survivors were in the process of claiming refugee status in Canada, and it was clear to the founders that in addition to asylum, these individuals needed specialized medical treatment, counselling and legal assistance.

CCVT was incorporated in 1983 as the Canadian Centre for the Investigation and Prevention of Torture. The name was changed in 1988 to better reflect the Centre’s mandate. The Centre was the second such facility in the world, after DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture, which was founded in 1982. In 2003, CCVT was accredited by the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT).

At CCVT, our goal is to help build a Canadian society that ensures the well-being of all its citizens. The effects of torture and violence, if left untreated, can have devastating effects not just on the victims but on their children and grandchildren – on future generations of young Canadians.

But like other immigrants, refugees present an opportunity. If we can help them settle, provide the help they need to recover from the trauma that brought them here, and offer a sense of community, they – and their children – will thrive. And so will our city.

The Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT) aids survivors in overcoming the lasting effects of torture and war. In partnership with the community the centre supports survivors in the process of successful integration into Canadian society, works for their protection and integrity and raises awareness of the continuing effects of torture and war on survivors and their families. The CCVT gives hope after horror.

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