Latest news with #intimatepartnerviolence
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Intimate partner violence calls surge in Greater Sudbury
Calls related to intimate partner violence in Greater Sudbury have increased by 63 per cent since 2023, police reported this week. Greater Sudbury Police say they are receiving an average of 50 to 65 calls a week related to intimate partner violence, a substantial increase compared to last year. And statistics show Sudbury police responded to 2,857 IPV calls in 2024, a 38 per cent increase from 2023 and 63 per cent increase compared to 2022. IPV stats Statistics show Sudbury police responded to 2,857 IPV calls in 2024, a 38 per cent increase from 2023 and 63 per cent increase compared to 2022. (File) Police are working with community partners to address IPV and help victims who want to leave abusive relationships. 'We might be informing the community better, so maybe those victims that were hesitant before are now proactive in reporting these incidents to police,' said Det. Sgt. Adam Demers, IPV coordinator for Sudbury police. Marlene Gorman, executive director of YWCA Sudbury, said she's not surprised that IPV reports are increasing. Gorman said Genevra House gets about 28 calls a week from women leaving abusive partners, and quite often the 32-bed shelter is at capacity. 'Our shelter is full every day,' Gorman said, adding it's disheartening when staff have to turn away women and their children because the shelter is full. Sudbury IPV Greater Sudbury Police say they are receiving an average of 50 to 65 calls a week related to intimate partner violence, a substantial increase compared to last year. (Photo from video) 'We know we're failing women who need us at their most vulnerable time,' she said. Gorman said it's not more shelters that are needed, it's more affordable housing. There's often an increase in demand for help at this time of year, she said, when the school year ends. Plan to leave abusive relationships 'Sometimes moms will wait until their children have completed school,' Gorman said. 'Around this time, they're looking at a plan to leave an abusive partner so they're not taking their children out of school and disrupting them in that way.' There's also often an increase around the holidays or just after the holidays. In an email the CTV News, Sudbury & Area Victim Services (SAVS) said it has seen an increase in referrals related to family violence and intimate partner violence occurrences. 'We know we're failing women who need us at their most vulnerable time.' — Marlene Gorman, executive director of YWCA Sudbury 'On average, SAVS is receiving between 20-45 new referrals per week through police, community agency referral or self-referral,' the email said. SAVS works with victims and survivors of IPV to do safety planning and connect them to services and support. Demers said police who work with the IPV unit are trauma-informed and victim-based. Part of the process is to continue contact with victims through follow-ups. 'We do have a lot of recidivism, the breaches, the calling, the harassing phone calls,' he said. 'By reaching out to (the victims), we get that information, but we're also getting their feedback on the process as well, which we share with our community partners.' It's that connection with community partners that Demers said helps victims feel more comfortable about reaching out to the police. 'It creates a bigger team and obviously the team works better if we have those relationships,' he said. 'All those partners working with us -- actually with the community -- maybe takes the edge off going to police.' He said IPV investigations start with police. From there, police reach out to community partners for assistance. That could be housing, supplies, shelter or safety. Community partners also step up when IPV cases lead to criminal charges. Another way Sudbury police is addressing the increase in IPV cases is through a one-year pilot project. Starting at the end of June, four police officers will be specifically designated to IPV cases. In Ontario, 95 communities have declared IPV an epidemic. There continues to be a push to have the province make a similar declaration.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Ohio's innovative approach to protecting domestic violence survivors
A domestic violence awareness ribbon. (Stock photo from Getty Images.) People who are convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic abuse or subject to a qualifying protective order aren't allowed to have firearms according to federal law, but actually separating them from their guns is another matter. Often, abusers can deny having or refuse to surrender their firearms, and in states that have not passed their own versions of the federal ban — which, among other limitations, does not itself mandate how or when subjects should relinquish guns they already have in their possession — the process can be even more precarious. Ohio is one of the states that hang in the balance. Judges in Ohio have the discretion to require the surrender of firearms because of a civil protection order — a temporary order to remove guns from a potentially dangerous person — but there is no legal statute requiring the relinquishment of firearms following an order. In Ohio, more than 188,000 people are victims of intimate partner violence annually, and the state loses $1.2 billion every year because of the pervasive violence, according to a 2025 report by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network. But Ohio is not unique; access to firearms is a key factor in the lethality of intimate partner violence. Research studies estimate that, in instances where a domestic abuser has access to a gun, a victim is five times more likely to die, and the rate of intimate partner firearm homicides in the United States is substantially higher than in other similar-income countries. The Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence through the Supreme Court of Ohio noticed that because of the disconnect in federal and state law, there was a gap in potential abusers surrendering their firearms. The committee came up with an unusual solution: paperwork. Members argued that the lack of legal follow-up after the issuance of protection orders could be remedied by the state's 10-F Form, implemented in 2021. When law enforcement goes to serve a protection order, they use the form to ask a subject if they have access to firearms, securing them if so, keeping them in storage, or noting whether they deny having access to weapons at all. Then the form gets placed in a court's docket, leaving a paper trail if there's a violation later. 'This really is a tool that can be used as a way to clarify, does someone have weapons, and if this person is lying, it could be the basis of another charge or a violation of that protection order,' said Alexandria Ruden, a member of the advisory committee and a supervising attorney with Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Ruden, who has worked in domestic violence law for four decades, emphasized that shootings are among the most common ways victims are killed. She and her colleagues have participated in training sessions on the 10-F Form across Ohio. But she explained that there are roadblocks to successful implementation, like having a place to store weapons after they have been seized. Though Ruden emphasized the practicality of the form, she said the need for a state statute is crucial to truly protect victims. 'If we were able to codify federal law regarding qualifying protection orders, and the qualifying misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, then the implementation of this form would be much easier to work with,' Ruden said. The difference in state approaches can have significant consequences for victims. 'The place you live, not only the state but the county that you live in, can dictate what protections under the law that you have, and how safe you will be,' said Dr. April Zeoli, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health who has researched the relationship between firearm access and intimate partner violence. 'We see these differences when it comes to domestic violence protection order firearm restrictions,' Zeoli told me. 'States that have these restrictions see decreases in domestic violence partner homicide compared to states that don't, and that is very frustrating.' Different states are implementing strategies to address intimate partner gun violence. In 2017, Washington became the first state to alert domestic violence survivors when an abuser tries to buy a gun. Other recent efforts have focused on securing financial support for those at risk, like Colorado's voter-approved gun tax to fund services for domestic violence victims. Earlier this year, Illinois passed a law clarifying the surrender process, requiring law enforcement to quickly seize firearms from people with protection orders against them. In Louisiana, even as federal laws have weakened, local leaders are still committed to keeping firearms out of the hands of abusers. Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Lieutenant Valerie Martinez-Jordan spearheaded an innovative firearm divestiture program that has since spread across the deep-red state. (Read my colleague Alma Beauvais's story for more.) These varied approaches are innovative, but as in Ohio, they are not being implemented without challenges. Some of the Trump administration's recent budget cuts have targeted domestic violence services. The actions on the federal level will have residual effects for organizations throughout the country. Still, the state actions show momentum for addressing the relationship between firearm violence and domestic violence. The 10-F form is just one example of recent efforts that are focused on less punitive approaches. Ruden, who has worked in intimate partner violence law since the Domestic Violence Act was enacted in 1979, told me that she looks forward to the day that she's 'out of a job,' but that there's a lot of work left to do. Often, she said, creating policies to counter intimate partner violence is a process that takes two steps back after taking a step forward. Still, these innovations represent hope. 'I am hopeful even now that what we are able to do with this particular piece is to focus on getting law enforcement to ask' about guns when a protection order is served, Ruden said. ''Do you have weapons?' or 'Let me take your weapons.'' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
CTV News
10-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Nova Scotia government creating engagement table to address gender-based violence
The Nova Scotia government is creating an engagement table to address gender-based violence in the province. The table, which will be led by Attorney General and Justice Minister Becky Druhan, will have up to 25 members. Members will include representatives of front-line service providers and community organizations, survivors, family members and academic experts. 'Nova Scotians have told us that gender-based violence supports and services need to be more connected, more responsive and easier to access,' said Druhan in a news release Tuesday. 'We need to work together with the people providing support and the survivors who access those services. It's about understanding needs as they evolve, getting help to people faster and working together to stop violence before it starts.' In September 2024, the government declared intimate partner violence an epidemic in Nova Scotia. Since October, police in Nova Scotia have reported the deaths of seven women and one man, allegedly from intimate partner violence. 'Gender-based violence is a complex issue, but it's one I know we can solve if we listen to the experts and find solutions, together,' said Leah Martin, minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women. The province has also introduced domestic violence court programs in Halifax and Sydney and legal changes that allow victims of domestic violence to take leave from work without fear of losing their jobs. The engagement table will be supported by: the minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women the minister of Opportunities and Social Development the minister of Health and Wellness the minister of Addictions and Mental Health the minister of Education and Early Childhood Development the minister of L'nu Affairs the minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs A call for applications to join the table will be issued in the coming weeks. The group will meet at least every three months. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
09-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘We think we understand, but we don't': Registered psychologist gives tools to help victims of domestic violence
According to Stats Canada, cases of intimate partner and family violence are higher in Alberta than the national average. Registered psychologist Lisa Rowbottom joined CTV Morning Live's Kent Morrison for tools on navigating important, but difficult conversations. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Kent Morrison: If you know someone who is a victim of domestic violence, let's start with what you should not do. Lisa Rowbottom: The number one thing you should not do is get frustrated and withdraw. People don't realize that there's a lot of psychological mechanisms involved and a lot of manipulation, and it can take a long time for the person to be able to get out of the relationship. Oftentimes, people get frustrated and they start giving the person an ultimatum, like if you don't stop talking to them or you don't get away from them, then they're never going to talk to you again. When you do that, you push the person into the arms of their abuser because they no longer have any other options of people they feel might care. Kent: So it may feel like tough love from a loved one, but that's not going to be the right strategy? Lisa: If you think about how counterintuitive it is to stay in a relationship with someone who is verbally, physically, psychologically abusing you. We think we understand what it's like to be in that situation but we truly don't. Kent: What are healthy ways we can help? Lisa: The first thing to do is to do some research. Read some information, read some accounts of people who were in those relationships, so you can help yourself understand what's actually going on. Then you should spend some time gathering resources because often the person in the relationship doesn't have the time or is too scared to actually go about getting any sort of resources around and getting out. I think the most important thing is to keep in mind the person that you meet, when you meet the abusive partner, is not necessarily the person that the abused partner encounters at home. If the partner comes to you and says, 'this person is abusing me,' sometimes the first instinct is to try and defend the other person because your experience of them is that they're not abusive. It's most important that when the person comes to you, you believe them, whether that's your experience or not. Kent: Are there any other healthy techniques that people can deploy to try to help someone they know or someone that's not necessarily a close friend, but you witness something? Lisa: If you're witnessing it happen in the moment, you can and should call emergency services if you're witnessing somebody being hurt. If you have more of a distant relationship with the person, you can provide them with information and resources. The Government of Canada has a website with a list of a lot of general resources and it's broken down by province, so it's a pretty easy Google search. If you just say, 'I have a concern, here's a number that you can call if you want any more information,' or, 'if there's anything else that I can help you with, here's a number you can call.' Then step back as much as you can because it'll be the person's close friends that will have to be the ones to have those hard conversations.
CBC
06-06-2025
- CBC
Man admits killing partner in Miramichi, hitting a man's head with hammer
WARNING: This story contains details of intimate partner violence. A New Brunswick man has admitted murdering his intimate partner of more than a decade last year in Miramichi while believing she was sleeping with a man he also struck on the head with a hammer. Billy Joe Stewart pleaded guilty on Friday in Miramichi's Court of King's Bench to second-degree murder in the death of 43-year-old Natalie LeBlanc. He also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and possessing a weapon — bear mace — for a dangerous purpose. Justice Fred Ferguson said he hopes the plea and sentencing later this summer will help LeBlanc's family begin to heal after the "egregious end" of her life. Ferguson read an agreed statement of facts, asking Stewart to confirm he was admitting those details. According to the agreed facts, Stewart and LeBlanc had been in a relationship for more than 10 years and lived together in Moncton and Miramichi. In the time leading up to her death, they had both been homeless. Stewart was living under a tarp near Hennessy Street in Miramichi. After Gordon (Joey) Dedam bought breakfast for LeBlanc in May, the agreed facts say, Stewart believed Dedam was in a sexual relationship with LeBlanc. On May 23 last year, Stewart appeared outside Dedam's tent with a hammer and hit him twice on the head. Dedam and a woman who was also there said Stewart was yelling about Dedam sleeping with LeBlanc. Dedam walked to a nearby ambulance and was treated in hospital. He had a fractured skull and required six staples to close the wound. Died of blunt force trauma On May 23 or 24, Stewart admits using a hacksaw handle to strike LeBlanc and used a cord to strangle her. An autopsy determined she died of blunt force trauma and had injuries to her arms, neck and head. The judge asked Stewart to confirm how he killed LeBlanc. "It's foggy," Stewart responded. He attempted to revive her without success, according to the agreed facts. He left her body under the tarp at Stewart's campsite. He admitted telling people he killed her. The agreed facts said LeBlanc's daughter said her mother recently resumed the relationship with Stewart, who had damaged LeBlanc's phone. LeBlanc's mother told police her daughter had expressed a desire to move back to Moncton. A business owner told police that they had been letting LeBlanc use their phone and that she had recently left a jacket and suitcase, saying she'd return for it, but never did. The business owner told police LeBlanc had a voucher for a bus trip to Moncton. Police found LeBlanc's body at Stewart's campsite. He was arrested on May 28, 2024, and confessed to police that he killed LeBlanc. The weapon charge related to bear mace he had when he was arrested. Sentencing in August Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 10 years. Ferguson's sentencing decision will largely be about when Stewart should become eligible for parole. The judge noted that the range is 10 to 25 years, starting from the time of Stewart's arrest last year. Ferguson said Stewart becoming eligible for parole doesn't mean it will be granted by the Parole Board of Canada. Crown prosecutors and Stewart's defence lawyer are expected to offer a joint recommendation on sentencing, which court rulings have said judges should generally follow. Sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 11.
