Rape crisis centres in B.C. say they are paying tens of thousands in legal fees to protect the confidential counselling files of victims requested by defence lawyers during sexual assault trials.

Last week, Battered Women’s Support Services received a $20,000-invoice for legal fees incurred when they went to court last year to fight a request for their records made during a preliminary hearing for a sexual assault trial.

It’s not the first time the Vancouver-based crisis centre has felt an obligation to