Four years after the CKW Inquest, advocates say Ontario still has major work to do to protect victim-survivors of intimate partner violence. This is Part II of our look back at the 86 recommendations and what has changed since then.
The latest episode of *Silence Broken: The IPV Talks* features Erin Lee of Lanark County Interval House and Community Support and Canadian feminist lawyer Pamela Cross, who represents Luke’s Place.
Cross says some of the most important recommendations from the inquest still need stronger oversight and accountability. She says governments need to listen to people working directly with survivors before new laws are written.
Cross says one of the biggest gaps remains inside the family law system.
Lee says that lack of education is also felt in rural communities, where there are fewer lawyers and fewer legal supports for people fleeing abuse.
The discussion also looked at legal aid, court delays and the added risk survivors can face during separation. Cross says many women end up without a lawyer while dealing with trauma, fear and legal bullying.
Lee says that can put both women and children at greater risk, especially when systems do not share information or understand the realities of intimate partner violence.
Cross says the inquest has added urgency to the work of Ontario’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee.
Lee says stable funding for women’s shelters and anti-violence agencies must also be treated as essential.
The episode ends by remembering Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam, whose deaths led to the CKW Inquest.
You can listen to the complete podcast below.
