Surge in partner violence continues in Ottawa, advocates sounding the alarm

An increase in reported incidents of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the City of Ottawa has advocates sounding the alarm.

According to a 2022 Ottawa Police report, there was a 13 per cent increase in charges related to intimate partner violence.

In 2021, there were 3,513 charges laid, while 2022 saw 3,967 charges associated with intimate partner violence in Ottawa. These numbers have jumped substantially in recent years due to the rise in domestic violence at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the numbers have continued to grow year over year.

According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, 160 women and girls were killed by violence in 2020. The following year 173 women and girls were killed, and last year, 184 women and girls were killed as a result of intimate partner violence. The foundation says it’s a concerning increase from the 118 women and girls who were killed by violence in 2019.

Between April 1 and Sept. 30, 2020, Canada’s Assaulted Women’s Helpline saw a 114 per cent increase in calls, receiving 51,299, compared to 24,010 in the same time in 2019.

Shannon Miller, associate director of shelter services with Cornerstone Housing appeared on The Sam Laprade Show, Tuesday, July 4, and their facility is experiencing such an increase in calls that they’re now having to turn away at least four women per day.

“They go home when they feel like there is nowhere else to go. Sometimes if there’s no bed when they call, they’ll stay in an unsafe situation and none of us want that,” explained Miller. “There are not enough services in the community. There’s not enough shelter beds. We have 61 beds in our shelter and we’re full every night. We do what we can but there’s not enough services for people when they’re in that place of need.”

When discussing the annual report, Ottawa Police Chief, Eric Stubbs told the media that they are concerned about the increase in the reports of intimate partner violence but also said that he hopes that an increase in the reporting of these incidents means there’s a level of trust with the service.

Last week, Ontario rejected a call from a coroner’s inquest into the deaths of three women in Renfrew County at the hands of their former partner to formally declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. However, the province did accept many of the other recommendations, including one that would allow a person to find out if their partner has a history of intimate partner violence.

Ottawa city council passed a motion on International Women’s Day earlier this year, declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic. The motion consists of three parts: declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic, directing staff to integrate intimate partner violence into the city’s community safety and well-being plan, and having the mayor write to the premier and the health minister in support of the creation of provincial legislation to address family violence.

Data collected by Statistics Canada in 2018 said a woman in this country is killed by her intimate partner every six days. The proportion of women killed by a spouse or intimate partner is over eight times greater than the proportion of men.

There are several services to help people escape intimate partner violence and other unsafe situations. If you or someone you know needs help in Ontario, contact 2-1-1 and they will refer you to the right program or service to suit your needs.

You can also reach Canada’s Assaulted Women’s Helpline for free at 1-866-863-0511 or TTY 1-866-863-7868.

Hear the full interview with Shannon Miller, associate director of shelter services with Cornerstone Housing on The Sam Laprade Show below.