We are deeply devastated to hear of the recent murders of women and girls who suffered at the hands of violent men they once trusted.
Since the start of mandated social isolation, there have been eleven domestic violence cases resulting in lethality across Canada:
- April 1 – 41-year-old woman murdered by a 35-year-old man in their home. CTV News
- April 1 – Audrey Hopkinson, 33 years old, was a young mother and Brockville General Hospital nurse, and was murdered by her domestic partner in Brockville, Ontario. The Recorder & Times
- April 2 – Tracy MacKenzie, 35 years old, was killed by her partner in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia. Saltwire
- April 8 – 61-year-old Tina Seminara was assaulted by her husband in Osoyoos, B.C., and
died a week later from her injuries Global News - April 11 – Julie Racette, a 34-year-old female, was killed by her Caucasian partner in Winnipeg Manitoba. Julie was a member of Manitoba’s Ebb and Flow First Nation. She was a mother, a sister, a daughter, and a popular coworker. APTN
- April 17 – Tina Seminara, in her early 60s, was a yoga teacher who died from the life-threatening injuries inflicted on her by her common-law partner who heavily assaulted her in Osoyoos, BC. SOOToday
- April 18-19- A woman was assaulted in Portapique, Nova Scotia by her long term common-law partner, and then she managed to escape, hid in the woods overnight, and survived. The man proceeded to murder 22 people, making it the deadliest mass shooting in Canada. The same man had intentions of killing his ex-wife.
- April 27 – Brittany Ann Meszaros, 24 years old, was killed by her common-law partner in Calgary, Alberta. Global News
- May 2 – Tina Tingley-McAleer, a 43-year-old woman who was an “amazing sister, a great mom, a wonderful grandmother” was killed by her domestic partner in Hillsborough, N.B. Global News
- May 4 – Lois Paterson-Gartner, 55 years old, her 13-year-old daughter, and their family dog were found dead in a murder-suicide carried out by a man they lived within rural Strathcona County in Alberta. Global News
- May 15 – Marie Morin was found dead in Winnipeg, after what police believe was an incident of domestic violence. CBC News
Combined with escalated COVID-19 home quarantining measures, abusive partners can use isolation, coercion and threats, emotional abuse, economic abuse, abusing children and companion animals, as well as their male privilege to fully maximize their power and control and exert violence on their victims.
Eighty four per cent of intimate partner violence occurred in a private dwelling in 2018. As more people are asked to stay home due to COVID-19, more victims are quarantined with their abusers, removing times and opportunities to leave and seek help, exacerbating the patterns, frequency, and degree of abuse.
For victims of homicide, there is already a known pattern of family violence that leads to lethality. Women and children are killed by people they know, including by their long-term partner (husband and boyfriend), and fathers.
We are dedicated to the elimination of violence against Two-Spirit people, non-binary people, women and girls. Since COVID-19 became a health emergency in Canada, we have increased our efforts in helping women and children escape abusive homes safely:
- Our crisis lines are now available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and offer text messaging as an option to women and children escaping violence, as well as their loved ones who want to support them
- Our trained staff help women create safety plans including identifying transition homes as well as providing them with a hotel room where they can seek refuge
- We provide counselling, both long-term and short-term to women who have left their abusive partners
- We advocate for women navigating family law, ensuring that their children are kept safe
- We help survivors identify their employment goals and assist them in accessing services as they work through a precarious job market
If you or you know someone who needs to plan around leaving an abusive home, please call our crisis line when it is safe for you at 604-687-1867 or 1-855-687-1868 or send us an email at intake@bwss.org.
While people are encouraged to stay at home, victims may feel isolated from people who love and care for them. Even when victims are isolated, we encourage them to maintain social connections online or over the phone, if it is safe to do so. As Dr. Bonnie Henry once said, “Your immediate safety is more important than physically distancing.”
It doesn’t mention the discovery of the body of my friend, Barb Grantham, at her home in Squamish on April 1. Her son has been charged with second degree murder.
https://www.osoyoostimes.com/charges-upgraded-to-manslaughter-after-osoyoos-womans-death/
Osoyoos, Bc.
As a citizen to canada can we not take a tally of children in a home we already know has cases of trauma of a physical appearance required in safe place, each child registered to parents under age 16 or 21 be present and accounted for ex. school system children be accounted for ! Just asking!
I like how you specify the murderer was Caucasian, because had he been any other race, you would suppress the info…
This is a vital issue that deserves to be addressed by a better writer. I’m done with sensationalism in news.
It is a shame however some women get away and then return as these men seem to have access to the woman and the woman return. Physical violence is no different than mental abuse! Why do some women commit suicide.
Tina Seminara (61) was critically beaten by her husband Roderick Ashley Flavell (62) in their home in Osoyoos BC on April 8th. She succumbed to her injuries 9 days later.
April 18-19 you have the “largest mass shooting in Canada”. This is false. Largest mass murder or massacre would be correct, most of the victims died in fires set by the man.
April 8th Tina Seminara osoyoos BC
https://globalnews.ca/news/6854702/osoyoos-manslaughter-fatal-assault/
Thank you for posting this . The verbal abuse is worse now than ever before. Seems like it hurts worse than the beatings I once endured.
This is horrific. I am a retired teacher. Is there anything I can do to support these victims?
I appreciate your dedication to assisting these victims of violence and providing support and aid to promote safer conditions, removal from dangerous environments and preparations to move into a brighter future.
As a Female clinical psychologist, it’s not obvious who the abuser is in these situations. Most all associate this as “crazy angry man kills innocent wife” obviously the male’s actions are reprehensible. However, to not take seriously the affects of female psychological and emotional abuse towards their male partners would be a mistake. It’s time we pull the curtain back on the “your husband is the most dangerous person in your life” narrative currently being preached. Women need to recognize when they are being psychologically abusive and men need to recognize when they are victims of this abuse and to fully articulate the problem once identified. Words are powerful, and so is an angry full grown male.
Time is of the essence. If you feel threatened especially if there are children involved, take the utimate step . A stepping stone to better things.
No one should be murdered. All women killed were common law or just shacked up. They left Gods protection by living as fornicators. BUT should not have been killed . The men acted as less than human. Our society needs to repent in the months ahead before it gets worse. In Canada how many innocent babies are murdered in mothers womb. The supporter cried a women has a right to kill a child cause it’s her body. U think God agrees with that??? Think about it.
There are some serious actions that have to be taken by our judicial system in regards to the protection of women and children! Our laws are lax when it comes to sexual abuse by men! They may be given a sentence, which is usually very mild considering the horrific terror caused to the victims! Then they are usually released after a short time to continue their terror on women and children! This in itself is a criminal act allowed by our judicial system! Men should never have any power or control over anyone! The cruelty inflicted by men is somehow overlooked and ignored! Our judicial system needs to be arrested and charged with failing to treat women, children and animals with the highest respect, care and understanding we deserve!
I lost my daughter 21 months ago. Her death came suddenly… one hour chatting with her daughter and a few short hours later she was dead. A companion of hers… a very controlling abusive man. This wasn’t the first time he hurt her. It was the third time. The first time she defended herself and fought back. He had her charged because she scratched his chest. When it came time for trial… all charges were dropped because he did not come to court. The second time… he held her on the floor for six hours kicking at her, bitting her, punching her. Every time she would try to get up he would knock her back down. He went to the bathroom and that was her chance. She ran out of the house and into the bush line in the yard. She called 911 and when he realized she was gone he went nuts screaming that he was going to kill her when he got his hands on her. Little did he know police were on the way and 911 was recording his death threats to her. My daughter came to hospital in an ambulance. 24 hours later she returned home with her children to live once again with her father and I. Seven months later he contacts her and begs her to go back to him. He says he is so sorry and he loves her so much and needs her. He convinced her to go back to be with him. Her children remained with me as she was afraid for their safety. Her birthday was July 6th. She had just turned 36. On August 3rd she was trying to leave the house after being beaten a whole week prior. He stopped her from going out the door. He killed her. Then he took her naked body and drove two hours south, just twenty minutes from my home and he threw her in the bushes. He went back home and carried on life like nothing happened. It took eight days before a very large federal police search and investigation before her body was found. He was charged with second degree murder. We are now waiting for trial dates. We her family that are left behind have been sentence a life time of heart ache. My message to any person living in an abusive relationship is get out before you can not.
I would be very interested in learning how many of these cases include the woman having informed the partner that she/he were done and that other arrangements would have to be made, women do not yet realize the gravity of telling the partner that he either has to leave or she will be doing so.
Please, if you are thinking seriously of doing so, make your plans, keep them to yourself and only yourself and when the time is right, just be gone, this is particularly good advice for women with children that she is taking with her. Do not hurl the information at him when you are angry, it is the closest that you will ever come to being killed in the moment.
It’s time we start teaching mandatory self defence for all high school girls. Give them the tools that one day might safe their lives
Just remember if the man hits you..he is not a man… he will always hit you.. because he is not a man.. get out now..
In 2018 12.3 (stats are never a solid number) women were killed every month by men.
This is not a new issue, this unspeakable and horrifying reality has been happening to the women of this country for YEARS without anything being done. It is, sadly, not new and absolutely not because of the pandemic.
Thank goodness your organization, and others similar, exist.
Keep up the great work. Every voice matters!
I was seconds from dying at the hands of my ex. I was one of the lucky ones; I didn’t fight, I gave up from fear of looking him straight in the eye while he held me against the cupboards, to his eye level, with no support under my feet. I did not no this man. It was when I understood that term, “I looked in his eyes and it was blank.” Also it’s not like in the movies. Woman fight back and win the battle. Well, it’s not that easy. When someone has you by the throat, it’s hard to breathe and you have no strenght to fight. This was after 20 years of marriage. After 3 years, he hit me so hard when I was two months pregnant I went into the air and fell to the floor. I went to my parents, where my sister and brother in law was visiting, and my brother in law said, “What did you do to make ***** hit you?” What did I do? So home I went for another 18 years. My question is why was I the only one. He was married before and has had many, many relationship since and has not hit any of them. Why me? I believe figuring that out will help other victims. Why them? After 20 years away from him, and remarried to a man who finds it hard to believe I was that person, to take abuse, I still feel like a victim. I never spoke out because I always did what was best for my children. I left, and stayed social with this man until my last daughter was grown. I tried to speak out once about three years ago and it cost me the relationship of my youngest daughter. We are just now starting to mend it; therefore, I will never speak out again. I am fine, I am safe. I have lost a lot of friends and family because they choose to support him. I accepted their support for him for many years, but it just got too painful. I have not healed and will probably never, I just know I will never speak out, because my children has hurt enough, and they come first. Maybe that is the answer to my question. Why me? Because of the children, he had power over me. He had money and power, therefore, he acquired the prestige. I am not allowed to see my ten grandchildren, and yet he is. What keeps me going is believing, “Everything happens for a reason.” If I could go back, yes, I would do things different, but we can’t go back. However, if I could teach young women how much I live in regret for allowing this man to break me, I believe would help me heal.
This travesty has gone on for decades!!! AS horrendous, and terrible as it is – one cannot help but ask the question – How do women end up with this kind of man?? The very very first time a Man hits his partner or girlfriend – he should be put in jail for one year.
The other question is why do women stay with someone who is violent??Low self esteem? Not loved at home? :living a shallow life- perhaps a Godless life??
We can only pray this horror stops. God Bless and Help anyone in these horrific circumstances.
Is there a go fund me page to donate to help Canadians escape domestic violence?
Thank you for sharing this account….so sad for all the families involved and affected. So thankful for a lovely husband who cherishes me and I cherish.
Gagetown, NB
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/upper-gagetown-mental-health-1.5564377
Hello…very sad to read this.
I live alone and have rooms that sit empty. I often wonder if I can offer a safe place for women in emergency situations.
I live in Hamilton ontario kn a house.
thank you for everything you do. We will put this out on our social media.
Ellen Campbell
Abuse Hurts
I had no idea that there was a spike in deaths. Why is the news not covering these crimes?
I was forced to move in with my abuser I couldn’t find housing after 30 days up and few days later covid it got so bad I attempted to kill myself the hospital released me only to return to abuser .I left abuser now but had to leave kids behind because I’m considered unsafe now I’m faced with abuse and even more isolated . I have contacted all recources mental health housing and every resource possible still sit her now knowing what do do but ending my life seems like the only path right now
Please dont do that ! Your life is worth more than a million diamonds , you deserve better than him , you will get better , you will get your children and be happy , it might take time but I promise you , that suicide isn’t the answer! I wish I knew who you were so I could give you a huge hug ( sometimes they are needed no matter what the protocol is )
my cousin is one of the women listed above and I can tell you , she would want you to stay safe and away from him , You will get your life back , time , just give it time my love !