Legal system failed family killed in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Shield of Athena director suggests

MONTREAL -- Restraining orders are an ineffective solution to domestic violence, and more convictions are necessary, the director of Shield of Athena family services said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the body of 42-year-old Dahia Khellaf, as well as her two young boys, aged two and four, were found inside a Pointe-aux-Trembles home.

Khellaf's former partner had been court-ordered not to see her.

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said 46-year-old Nabil Yssaad walked into a hospital in Joliette at 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, where he later died by suicide.

Court records showed that Yssaad was charged in August 2018 with assault with a weapon against Khellaf but was acquitted last week after signing an agreement not to contact her and to stay away from her home and workplace, except for court-approved visitation.

But such an arrangement is only a "band-aid" solution, director of Shield of Athena family services Melpa Kamateros said.

"In the reality of the situation, somebody who wants to kill somebody else will do it irrespective of any restraining order, and irrespective of any peace bond, and unfortunately the murder-suicide is something that is indicative of the final stage of what we call the cycle of violence," she said.

Women in violent relationships can call the police or can access resources like women's shelters--of which there are over 100 in Quebec, Kamateros said.

"The problem is when the person, the alleged perpetrator puts his mind to kill his wife, which most often occurs upon the point of rupture: when the victim takes a decision to leave, to divorce, to separate--that point constitutes the single most dangerous point of this intimate relationship," she said.

More emergency shelters and follow-up resources for women are needed, Kamateros added. 

Watch her full interview with CTV Montreal's Paul Karwatsky above. 

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, here are some available resources:

SOS violence conjugale (1-800-363-9010)

Your local CLSC (Info-santé: 811)

Crime Victim Assistance Centre (1-866-532-2822)

Assistance aux femmes (514-270-8291)

Shield of Athena 514-274-8117 or 1-877-274-8117

Find the nearest shelter at Women's Shelters Canada

If you need immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.

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If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources that are available:

Suicide Action Montreal (1-866-277-3553)

Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566 or text 45645)

Centre for Suicide Prevention (1-833-456-4566)

Kids Help Phone [phone])

If you need immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.