Members of the Canadian Parliament are urging the country to outlaw coercive control in efforts to address intimate partner violence. The House committee on the status of women has put forward 16 recommendations, including the continuation of supporting the criminalization of coercive control. Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu, the committee’s chair, expressed the desire to see coercive control become a criminal offense during a recent news conference. She mentioned that there is bipartisan support among Liberal, Conservative, and Bloc Québécois members on the committee to advance this initiative.
The report highlighted that coercive and controlling behavior is recognized as a form of family violence by the Supreme Court of Canada. Several countries, such as England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Australia, have already made coercive behavior a criminal offense in recent years. Although a private member’s bill aimed at criminalizing coercive control was approved in the House and debated in the Senate last year, it lapsed with the dissolution of Parliament.
The committee’s report emphasized the importance of providing training for law enforcement and the justice system, public education, and additional support services for victims to effectively implement the criminalization of coercive control. Gladu stressed that it is crucial for the police and judiciary to be adequately equipped to enforce the law. While witnesses supported the criminalization of coercive control, challenges were noted from experiences in other jurisdictions, including difficulties in securing convictions.
Given that coercive control involves a pattern of ongoing behaviors over time, it can be complex to identify and challenging for victims to seek assistance through the legal system. The committee cautioned that criminalization alone will not swiftly eradicate domestic abuse. Unlike some countries that define coercive control by listing specific behaviors, the committee opted against recommending a detailed list in Canada, citing the fluid nature of such behaviors.
If you are in immediate danger or facing family or intimate partner violence, please call 911 or seek help through crisis lines and local support services.