Saskatchewan report calls for more services to combat intimate partner violence
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/01/2025 (420 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
REGINA – The Saskatchewan government is being urged to increase services for victims of intimate partner violence and to make the topic of healthy relationships a mandatory part of the school curriculum.
They are among the recommendations in the Domestic Violence Death Review released Thursday — the second report of its kind from the Saskatchewan government since 2016.
The report, compiled by people from different provincial ministries, reviewed 31 deaths that occurred between 2015 and 2020.
It says many victims reached out for support before their deaths but faced barriers in receiving adequate help.
“Tragically, family members noted that each of their loved ones had reached out to law enforcement, shelters, or other support services prior to their death. Their loved ones sought out the safety they needed, however, they did not receive the necessary supports and services,” the report says.
“In several cases, family members noted the police permitted the perpetrator to remain in the home or return the following day.”
Statistically, the rate of deaths linked to intimate partner violence was higher in rural areas than in urban ones, and Indigenous people were overrepresented, making up 57 per cent of adult victims.
More than 80 per cent of victims were women, and more than 80 per cent of perpetrators were men.
The report calls for improved support services and specialized courts in rural and remote locations, emergency transportation options for victims in remote communities, and better cellular and internet services.
It also recommends lobbying the federal government for longer sentences for repeat offenders, and teaching kids in school about healthy relationships.
“This curriculum should address domestic violence prevention and ensure that every Saskatchewan child knows what a healthy relationship is.”
Reviews of domestic violence issues occur periodically in Saskatchewan, and the government said Thursday it welcomed the newest report.
“The recommendations in this report will inform future government responses to domestic and interpersonal violence, and can serve as a road map for all of us as a province to make our province safer for everyone,” Justice Minister Tim McLeod said in a statement.
The province acted on the previous report’s recommendations, such as paid leave from work for survivors of domestic violence.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.