Family of woman allegedly killed by former boyfriend start petition for stronger federal action on domestic violence
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The petition, started by Cobb's cousin Taylor Matusik, urges parliament to revisit Bill C-332 which, if passed, would amend the criminal code to include an offence of exercising coercive control of an intimate partner.
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The petition states that Cobb was failed by 'the system designed to protect.' Prior to the murder, Cobb had taken out a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, Devon Malik, who has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with her death.
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'If laws stay the same, more and more innocent people are going to die, and are going to suffer more and more at the hands of their partners,' the petition reads. 'If we fight for a change, and fight for Bill C-332 in honour of my cousin, Maddie, we will be able to help save and better protect people, including young women and their children.'
Doug King, a professor or criminal justice at Mount Royal University, said the law would provide an additional layer of protection to those who have a restraining order against a former intimate partner, on top of protections that are already in place — as well as stronger punishments.
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'There are other dimensions in the criminal code to provide protection, but the proposed law is particularly targeted to address issues related to violence against women and children,' King said.
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Currently, the maximum punishment for criminal harassment or utterance of a threat is five years of incarceration, but Bill C-332 proposes a maximum of 10 years.
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'Going to a 10-year punishment is a signal that … the notion of coercive control of intimate partners is a serious problem,' King said, 'and it's also a signal that what we're doing right now isn't working very well.'
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Starting in 2023, Bill C-332 passed through three readings in the House of Commons, and two in the Senate. However, because parliament was prorogued in January, the bill won't necessarily just be picked up where it was left off.
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Bills that have not yet received Royal Assent are terminated when parliament prorogues, and must either be reintroduced — meaning the process will start over — or they can be reinstated by a unanimous decision in the House of Commons.
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Winnipeg Free Press
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'So it was a great day, it was really good.' As with the two previous summits Carney held with First Nations and Inuit leaders, this one didn't delve into any specific major projects that either Carney or Métis leaders had in mind. Instead, Froh said, Métis leaders reiterated their concerns over proper consultation and made clear that 'we do support development, but never at the expense of Section 35 rights-holders.' Carney has promised that the major projects office will be established by Labour Day, along with an Indigenous advisory council whose composition and purpose was also a subject of discussion on Thursday, albeit without any concrete details. Asked if she supports Bill C-5 following the summit, Froh said, 'I actually do feel very hopeful coming out of today's conversation. I thought it was very respectful, very forward-looking, and we were really focused on rolling up our sleeves and doing the hard work together in order to make a better world for our communities and for the broader country.' By the end of Thursday, then, Carney managed to keep the support of those Métis leaders who attended his summit, along with that of the boycotting Manitoba Métis Nation. The real work will begin in the fall, once specific projects start to come into view. But for now, the prime minister can fairly claim to have snatched a small victory from the jaws of defeat.
