Quebec adopts ankle monitor system to protect domestic violence victims
Quebec has become the first jurisdiction in Canada to adopt monitoring devices to protect victims of conjugal violence.
The program was first announced in late 2021 and is set to roll out into every region in the province by the end of 2023.
The device works like this: the person charged or convicted of domestic violence is ordered by the court or jail authorities to put the electronic bracelet on their ankle.
A private security firm is then in charge of monitoring the wearer’s movements.
If they go within the perimeter of their victim, the victim gets notified on their phone. Police are then called to intervene.
“This is a revolution that we're putting in place with this bracelet,” said Quebec Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault.
That “revolution” is coming in response to growing pressure from victims of domestic violence who say they don't feel safe knowing that their ex-partner can get close to them once they’re released from jail. In the last year alone, there were 26 femicide victims in Quebec.
“It is definitely a help,” said Amy Kaufman, a survivor of conjugal abuse. She welcomed the use of the device as an additional way to protect other victims.
“When I left, [I was] told to put safety measures in place,” she said. “I had to pay for them.”
“I put video cameras outside my house, paid someone to sleep overnight, put in alarm systems, panic buttons -- so at least this does help.”
Victims will have to agree to take part in the program. Guilbault said the bracelets will go a long way in reassuring women of their own safety.
“We had to take concrete actions to make sure we increase the security and the peace of mind of those women who are victims of domestic violence,” she told reporters.
However, Kaufman expressed worry that the device can only do so much to protect people from their abusers.
“I think it gives a sense of security, but I worry it could be a false sense of security; knowing there are some perpetrators who are not guided by the rules from judges,” she said.
In the coming months, 500 devices will be rolled out across Quebec, with a shipment arriving in Montreal in the spring.
SUPPORT NETWORK
Victims of domestic violence can contact SOS violence conjugale at 1-800-363-9010.
Other resources:
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.