Jury recommendation no. 85 from the inquest into ending intimate partner violence in Ontario says the Federal Government must Include “coercive control”, as defined in the Divorce Act, as a criminal offence on its own or as a type of assault under the Criminal Code.
Lanark County Interval House’s Erin Lee has been looking at each recommendation for us and says the act is non-relenting terror for victims.
At the same time, Lee says careful steps must be taken to preserve victim’s truth as cases of IPV move through the court systems as offenders always try to maintain some level of power and control over their victims.
Lee says they don’t want coercive control to be minimized to point where it is just part of the social context in gender based violence, and the legislation isn’t applied properly to reduce incidents of violence.
Again, it’s all in the name of protecting the victim.
You can listen to the complete conversation with Erin Lee below.