Latest news with #intimatepartnerviolence
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Advocates say intimate partner violence is a public health crisis in B.C.
Advocates like Angela Marie MacDougall are calling intimate partner violence a public health crisis in B.C.,Premier David Eby acknowledged gender-based violence an epidemic in financial mandate letter last January.
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
Man, 58, charged with attempted murder after incident at Eastern Shore lake'
A 58-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after an incident on an Eastern Shore lake on Wednesday that police describe as a case of intimate-partner violence. RCMP responded to a call at 2:50 p.m. on Lake Charlotte, located about 60 kilometres from Halifax. According to a media release, a man and a woman were on a boat when the man attempted to push the woman into the water. RCMP says the victim did not end up in the water, but says they have no information on her injuries. In the media release, police describe it as a "serious assault." Along with the attempted murder charge, the Musquodoboit Harbour man was charged with assault by choking, general assault, uttering threats, mischief, and two counts of failure to comply with a release order. He was due in court Thursday and is to remain in custody pending future court appearances. In September 2024, the provincial government enacted a bill recognizing domestic violence as an epidemic across the province. In three months between October and January, police say six Nova Scotia women were killed by their male partners. The investigation is ongoing. Police are asking anyone boating between 10 a.m. and 2:50 p.m. to contact them with information regarding the case. For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
‘That grief, we carry it every day': Breanna Broadfoot's family plans vigil; calls for end to Intimate Partner Violence
It's been a year since Breanna Broadfoot was killed. The 17-year-old girl taken too soon by her former boyfriend in a violent domestic incident on Wellesley Crescent, on Thursday July 18, 2024. Police say the suspect stabbed Breanna and another person before being shot by officers. He later died in hospital. Since then, her family has been fighting to raise awareness about intimate partner violence and this Friday, they're inviting the community to stand with them. 'It's going to be a difficult day, emotionally and personally. But we deal with that you know, that grief every day,' said Brenna's father Brett Broadfoot. The Broadfoots, with support from Anova and the London Abused Women's Centre, are hosting a memorial event on Friday at Ed Blake Park. From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., people can drop off hygiene donations, enjoy food and hear from community leaders about the urgent need to end violence against women. The Executive Director of the London Abused Women's Center (LAWC) Jennifer Dunn says although progress is being made, more needs to be done. 'There is a lot better communication, a lot more opportunities to work together. But it's not fast enough. We need to have a coordinated community response to end violence against women. And that's the bottom line.' Both agencies will be there to connect people with resources and remind survivors that they are not alone. Breanna's family also wants people to know how she gave. Even in death, her organ donations saved five lives. 'Breanna always wanted to help people… She's just a real giver and full of life, and a huge heart,' said Brett. 'She was a hero,' echoed her mother, Jessica.
CBC
6 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
A year after daughter's death, London dad urges action as Ontario reports rise in intimate partner violence
WARNING: This story contains discussion of intimate partner violence. One year after his 17-year-old daughter was killed by her boyfriend, Brett Broadfoot says he's learned a lot about how gaps in the legal system are failing women and girls facing domestic violence. "We have victims willing to step up and say what's happened to them, and then be left wondering why their abuser is on the street waiting to go to court with no monitoring," said the London, Ont., man. He spoke to CBC News ahead of the one-year anniversary of Breanna's killing and as new provincial police figures indicate a rise in the number of intimate violence cases. Breanna Broadfoot, 17, died in hospital on July 18 — two days after she was stabbed in a case that police have linked to intimate partner violence. An 18-year-old was shot by police, who say he had confronted them with a knife, and later died in hospital. Breanna's dad said she had a peace bond against the man who killed her. The protection order, commonly used in cases of domestic violence and other criminal offences, puts specific conditions on defendants to prevent them from committing harm. It didn't help in Breanna's case. "Unfortunately, what happened to my daughter is exactly what happens to a lot of these women where they still don't feel protected because the person that has abused them is left to be out on the streets, and that should not be happening," he said. "The reality is right now [alleged abusers] can do what they want and say, 'Yes, I won't communicate with this person or come near them,' but who's genuinely monitoring that?" Push for legislative change A CBC analysis of data from Ontario Provincial Police has found reports of intimate partner violence rose by 18.1 per cent in 2024: 6,289 compared to 5,326 in 2023, when there was a 13.5 per cent increase over 2022. Last month, the Ontario New Democratic Party introduced another bill that would require the province to recognize intimate partner violence as an epidemic and create an "implementation committee" to review the 86 recommendations from the 2022 Renfrew County inquest. (A similar bill, 173, received two readings and was referred to the province's justice committee last year, but the committee was dismantled amid February's provincial election.) The inquest followed the 2015 killings three women in the rural county. All were killed by the same man and on the same day. The recommendations provide a roadmap of systemic changes that could prevent domestic violence and femicide, and give oversight and accountability for perpetrators in the justice system and supports for survivors. The bill passed its first reading and is expected to be revisited in the fall. London West MPP Peggy Sattler is among its co-sponsors. She believes the declaration would allow the government to have more tools to address the issue. "When you declare an epidemic, it enables the government to mobilize resources to implement policy changes, make investments and to engage in the co-ordination needed to address a serious public health emergency — and that's what intimate partner violence is," said Sattler. "It has significant repercussions in our justice system, in our health-care system, and that's why so many organizations and experts have been repeating that call." Sattler said an implementation committee would include both experts and politicians from different ministries who would report back to the Legislature, to create accountability for which recommendations are being enforced. She also wants more investments in education and prevention, justice reform, affordable housing, and funding for shelters and agencies that help individuals fleeing abuse. Sattler noted the province can make the declaration without a bill, pointing to provinces such as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, which have recognized intimate partner violence as an epidemic, along with 106 Ontario municipalities, including London. Broadfoot believes the province declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic would be a good first step, but he also wants grassroots action. Raising awareness about domestic violence keeps the family going as they cope with the grief of Breanna's death, said Broadfoot, who has since joined the board of directors for the London Abused Women's Centre. "We continue to move forward and find the courage and strength to keep going each day, but there's a piece that has been taken from us," he said. "That grief will never go away, but it just comes in waves now." On Friday, the Broadfoots will host an event at Ed Blake Park to honour Breanna's memory.
CTV News
7 days ago
- CTV News
No talk of custody when B.C. man was convicted of choking. Then, his ex-partner was killed.
Bailey McCourt, 32, is seen in an undated image. When James Plover was convicted on July 4 of choking someone and uttering threats, in a rage that also saw him destroy a table with a machete, his defence lawyer and the prosecutor took no issue with delaying his sentencing for up to 10 weeks, pending a psychiatric report. In the meantime, the former jail guard was to be released, and a recording of the hearing in a provincial court in Kelowna, B.C., suggests there was no discussion in light of his conviction of potential risks he posed out of custody — he had already been out on $500 bail, with conditions, ahead of his hearing. Less than three hours after the court adjourned, police were called to a parking lot about four kilometres from the courthouse, where Plover's estranged wife, Bailey McCourt, was gravely injured in an attack. She later died and Plover has been charged with second-degree murder in the killing. The identities of the victims in Plover's previous case are the subject of a publication ban. The death of McCourt in the parking lot attack that also seriously injured another woman has galvanized advocates for bail reform and better protection for victims of intimate partner violence. Protesters including McCourt's mother rallied outside the Kelowna court complex last week on the day of Plover's appearance on the murder charge. In the recording of the July 4 hearing reviewed by The Canadian Press, provincial court judge David Ruse says Plover's relationship with the choking victim had been deteriorating in June 2024 and was 'described as terrible, tumultuous and stressful.' Ruse said Plover and the victim became embroiled in a heated argument, and he choked the complainant as evidenced by neck bruising shown in photographs presented to the court. Ruse said in his oral reasons for judgment that Plover denied making threats to kill anyone other than himself, and he attempted suicide after the violent altercation. The judge said Plover at one point grabbed a machete and destroyed a dining room table and other items of 'emotional value' to the complainant, and called his parents to whom he expressed 'suicidal ideations.' The judge said Plover's mother attended the scene, and acted as an 'intermediary' between him and police before he was arrested. Ruse said Plover had testified that the choking incident was in 'self-defence,' and he had been 'mortified' by his actions to the point of wanting to take his own life. The judge didn't accept Plover's evidence. 'This self-loathing for his own actions is inconsistent with his destruction of things that he knew were precious to the complainant,' Judge Ruse said. 'These acts of destruction are consistent with anger directed at the complainant.' Ruse said the complainant did exaggerate at times, including testifying that 30 police cars had responded to the scene, when the judge said there were about a dozen. But the judge accepted the complainant's evidence and found the Crown proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Plover had uttered threats that 'were consistent with an intention to manipulate or control the complainant.' The court hearing turned to a discussion of a pre-sentence report for Plover after Ruse's reasons concluded, and defence lawyer Cory Armour said he and Crown prosecutor Catherine Rezansoff agreed that there would be 'some benefit' to Plover undergoing a psychiatric assessment. Rezansoff told the court of a potential weeks-long wait for the report due to a 'backlog,' and Armour said there was no issue with delays of up to 10 weeks since his client had been convicted. The court set Plover's next court date for mid-September, and the hearing adjourned around 9:56 a.m. Just before 1 p.m., Kelowna RCMP say they received a report about an assault with a weapon, in the attack on McCourt and the other woman. Plover was arrested and charged with second-degree murder the next day. Lawyer Armour did not respond to a request for comment. An online resume says Plover previously worked as a jail guard for the City of Kelowna and Penticton, and says he has an associate degree in criminal justice from Okanagan College. The City of Kelowna and the Kelowna RCMP confirmed in emailed statements that Plover was employed by the Commissionaires, which was contracted by the city jail guard services. 'He worked as a cell guard at the Kelowna RCMP detachment between June 2017 and November 2018,' the city's statement said. The Commissionaires BC said in an emailed statement that Plover worked for them between 2016 and 2018 before resigning. 'During his time with us, Mr. Plover held an Enhanced Reliability Clearance, which is a federal-level clearance that requires extensive background investigations, including checks on character references, employment history, financial integrity, and criminal records,' the Commissionaires BC said in a statement. 'This level of clearance is only granted to individuals who meet rigorous credibility and trustworthiness standards, and it is monitored throughout the duration of employment.' 'We categorically condemn all forms of harassment, violence, and spousal abuse,' its statement said. More recently Plover worked as a manager at a Kelowna Boston Pizza, including the night before the 2024 attack. The restaurant's owners, who were listed as references on the resume, declined to comment on Plover's time working there. Plover's resume lists one of his skills as 'conflict management.' This report by, Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.
