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CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
‘No body, no proof': Victim of domestic violence fearful as her abuser is released from prison
A stock image of a woman with her head in her hands. (Liza Summer/ Marie (not her real name), a mother of two, says she has been working hard to rebuild her life after being subjected to domestic violence and sexual abuse by her ex-partner, Noovo Info reports. She says that when the two separated, he made her life a living hell. She was only able to start breathing steadily again when he was incarcerated. READ MORE: 'Uphill battle': Criminal Code must include definition for femicide, advocates say Now, after serving two-thirds of his sentence, Marie's ex is set to be released from prison. 'It's a lot of stress, a lot of flashbacks and emotions,' she said. Three days of hell The three months following the couple's separation were 'intense,' the mother recalls, adding that the breaking point came when her ex showed up at her home and assaulted her for three days. She says he was placing a ladder against her children's window when she opened the door to see what was happening. She says she didn't have time to close the door before he was inside, grabbing her by the throat. 'I screamed. He said, 'You're going to do what I tell you because otherwise the children will pay,'' she said. She followed his orders, fearing he would harm her children. 'It was three days of sexual assault,' Marie said. 'As soon as I was sure the children were safe, I called the police. They got us out of there and took us to a shelter.' Given the seriousness of his actions, Marie's ex was registered as a sex offender. When the couple officially separated, she says he started threatening her and their children. 'I received death threats every two weeks, threats of kidnapping, threats of everything. There was nothing he didn't think of,' she said. Unable to take it anymore, she says she decided to block his phone number. The next day, he kidnapped their son. 'He ended up bringing him back after a police officer called him and followed him. He said to me, 'You're smart enough to understand what just happened. Think about it because next time it's going to be worse,'' she said. A few days later, he kidnapped him again. 'No body, no proof,' he would regularly tell her. He was arrested three times before being convicted and imprisoned. He was charged with harassment, disclosure of intimate images without consent, trespassing, false imprisonment, armed sexual assault and numerous breaches of conditions. READ MORE: Man arrested after woman found dead in Châteauguay Today, Marie considers herself a survivor, but says with his release, she's far from feeling safe. Court documents show that even during his incarceration, Marie's ex continued to communicate with her until authorities intervened. 'Whether I want it or not, he still wants me,' she said. 'I have a lot of support, my children have a lot of support.' All the same, she adds that the impact on her children has been significant since their father's imprisonment. 'My daughter has incredible night terrors. She doesn't even want to be hugged anymore. She told me that she now knows that anyone can become a monster at any time,' she said. 'My son has regressed incredibly. He's not the same little boy anymore.' In its report, Quebec's youth protection centre (DPJ) assessed that there remains a serious risk of Marie's ex seriously harming her and their children, even suggesting the possibility of a suicide-murder. Given the imminent risk, the rapid response unit in her region has been activated, including police, the DPJ, women's resources and organizations for men who commit violence. In addition to her concerns about her ex's release, Marie says she is under considerable financial stress because she is no longer eligible for compensation for victims of crime (IVAC) due to a reform that limits assistance to three years. Marie says she is hopeful that her ex will be required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet when he is released from prison – a detail she won't know until the day of his release. Since the start of this year, 10 women have been murdered, six of them in the context of domestic violence.
CTV News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
‘Multiparent' families, like throuples, to be granted legal rights in Quebec
A recent court ruling in Quebec has granted multi-parental families in the province the same legal rights as any other unit. A Quebec Superior Court judge ruled on Friday that limiting the legal affiliation of children to one or two parents is unconstitutional. Lawyer Marc-André Landry, who represented one of the families involved in the case, explains the ruling does not apply to step-parents or other 'modern' families that are formed after a child is born. Rather, it applies to a situation where a family has multiple adults involved in a relationship before the child's conception. In other words, Landry notes, the 'parental project' needs to be in place prior to the child's creation. 'It's not about step-parents or other potential realities, it's really about three people sitting together and saying, 'We should have a child together,'' he explains. 'No one should be treated differently because of their family status.' There were three families who were part of the case, according to Landry. The first constitutes a 'throuple,' three adults – a man and two women – in a relationship, with four children among them. The second involves a lesbian couple and a male donor who wished to be part of the child's life as a father figure. The third includes a woman living with infertility who allowed her husband to have a child with a friend, who asked to remain on as a mother. 'Those families do exist, no matter what people may think,' said Landry, calling the move a 'major' change in our collective legal comprehension. 'You have kids whose affiliation, from a legal standpoint, does not match their reality.' Hands A group of people puts their hands together. (Diva Plavalaguna/ Landry equates Friday's ruling to the changing views of same-sex families during the 1980s and 1990s. 'The law has evolved, and homosexual families do exist, are accepted, and it's not actually an issue anymore in Canada,' he said. 'It's the same thing here. The law needs to evolve to match the reality of all Canadian citizens, and those babies who have not chosen to be born in multi-parental families. They must have the same protection, same rights as any other babies under the law.' Landry points out that multi-parent families already have legal standing in several other Canadian provinces, including Ontario and British Columbia. The Quebec government now has 12 months to amend the Civil Code to match the ruling.
Borneo Post
28-04-2025
- Borneo Post
Teacher claims trial to sexual assault on four pupils
Photo for illustration purposes only. – Photo from KUDAT (Apr 28): A primary school teacher claimed trial in a Sessions Court here on Monday to eight charges of committing sexual physical assaults against four pupils. Lowoyon Elod Jiviol, 33, who appeared before judge A. Akhiruddin @ Boy Acho, was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017. The indictment provides for a jail sentence of up to 20 years and whipping, upon conviction. Lowoyon was accused of committing the offences on the two boys and two girls at a school between 7.30am and 8am between December 30, 2024 and January 3. The court released Lowoyon on RM2,000 bail for each charge and with one local surety. His case will be mentioned back on May 14. Lowoyon was represented by counsel Sylyester Kuan. Meanwhile, 38-year-old man pleaded not guilty in a Magistrate's Court here on Monday to causing hurt. Elbie Andrew, who appeared before magistrate Marilyn Kelvin, was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code. The alleged offence carries a jail term of up to one year or a fine, or both, upon conviction. Elbie was alleged to have injured a 37-year-old victim at a building at Batu 2 Keramat here at 1am on November 29, 2019. The court fixed June 23 for pre-trial case management. Elbie was released on RM1,700 bail with two local sureties, pending disposal of the case.
