SummarySpren for "C-332, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (controlling or coercive conduct)"
- • Coercive control is a form of domestic violence that is not currently recognized in the Criminal Code, yet it is a significant factor in many cases of domestic violence and homicide.
• The absence of coercive control in the Criminal Code makes it difficult for police officers to recognize and address this form of domestic violence, and it can lead to a lack of belief and support for victims.
- • Bill C-332 aims to make coercive and controlling behavior a criminal offense, which is currently not explicitly defined in the Criminal Code.
• The bill seeks to address the issue of distrust among marginalized women, who are often targeted by abusers and have little confidence in existing mechanisms for seeking justice.
- • Coercive and controlling behavior is a form of violence that affects millions of Canadians, particularly women, and should be recognized as a criminal offense to help victims before physical violence occurs.
• The bill has broad community impacts and positive impacts, particularly for marginalized women, and should be passed quickly to show that parliamentarians can work together effectively to tackle important problems.
- • The bill aims to strengthen Canada's legislative framework to address intimate partner violence by proposing reforms that would protect victims of coercive and controlling behavior in intimate relationships.
• The bill seeks to proactively prevent intimate partner violence by defining coercive and controlling behavior, providing legal and criminal recourse for those seeking protection, and supporting victims through resources such as the Safe Centre of Peel.
- • The current government has failed to adequately address intimate partner violence and gender-based violence in Canada, with every six days seeing a woman killed from such violence.
• The NDP is committed to dismantling the systems of oppression that enable and perpetuate this kind of violence, and to creating a society where everyone lives free from violence, with a focus on addressing the underlying structures that enable and perpetuate this kind of violence.