NDP bill to keep women safe advances to committee

NDP plan to criminalize coercive abuse being studied as women face rise in gender-based violence

OTTAWA – On Thursday, NDP MP Laurel Collins' bill to criminalize coercive and controlling abuse was studied in committee as part of the process to get it passed.

Collins’ bill would protect people facing domestic violence, particularly women, by adding coercive behaviour to the Criminal Code. This would criminalize patterns of abuse like threats, humiliation, isolating the person from support, and depriving them of independence.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the gender-based violence that cost a woman and her kids their lives in Manitoba just this week. My deepest condolences go out to their family,” said Collins. “Intimate partner violence looks very different for each person, but the consequences are gut-wrenching, and the government needs to take action. Criminalizing coercive control would be a step that would have a huge impact on women’s lives. But until now, it’s been entirely overlooked by previous governments even though it almost always comes before things turn violent.”

Over 95 per cent of victims of intimate partner violence have also reported experiencing coercive behaviour and control. This pattern of behaviour leaves long-lasting impacts on survivors, including mental health concerns, feeling serious distress, fear, and isolation.

“The Liberals have spent eight years claiming to champion women’s issues – but when it comes down to it, they delay, disappoint and fail to act. They keep letting women down,” said Collins. "This type of coercive control is so damaging on it's own, but it also so often escalates with devastating outcomes.”

“New Democrats believe that our justice system should work to support people facing intimate partner violence. I’ll be pushing for this plan to move through the process quickly so that no more people are left with nowhere to turn when experiencing any form of domestic abuse.”