Quebec going ahead with electronic bracelet system to protect domestic violence victims
Quebec will implement an electronic bracelet system this spring to protect victims of conjugal violence.
The service will then be gradually rolled out to every region in the province by December 2023.
Deputy premier and public safety minister Geneviève Guilbault made the announcement Wednesday at a press conference in Quebec City, where the first electronic monitoring systems will be implemented.
Guilbaut said the monitoring devices will help women “who are stuck in that hell of domestic violence,” recapture some semblance of peace.
“If we can help women and give them back this peace of mind, the power over their own life and their autonomy, it is priceless,” Guilbault said.
The device usually consists of an ankle bracelet and a transmitter box worn by the offender, and a second box — a receiver — provided to the victim.
When the two devices are within a certain distance, in what’s called a “pre-alert” zone, the police and the offender are notified.
If after that, the two people continue to move closer to one another, police officers will travel to meet each person at their location.
The Executive Director of Shield of Athena Family Services in Montreal welcomed the news about the new protective device, however, she said it was just one of many strategies needed to fight domestic violence.
“It’s a tool that has to be used but in concert with other measures. I think it’s yet one more reinforcement for the victim,” Melpa Kamateros said.
She also said the use of the electronic bracelet takes the onus off the potential victim and places it on the shoulders of the potential abuser for a change, while at the same time benefiting them in several ways.
“Because if he does go overboard with a heinous act and he does kill the victim then he’s in a bad way himself and we’ve all seen, unfortunately, how these cases end,” she said.
“It isn’t only with the tragedy of the murder of the victim, but it’s also the tragedy of the suicide of the abuser in many cases,” Kamateros said.
The monitoring bracelets are also used in parts of the United States, in France, and in Spain.
There have been 18 femicides in Quebec in 2021, a phenomenon that advocates say has been exacerbated by the lockdown rules related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistics Canada estimates that almost half of female homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner, compared to 6 per cent for men, according to data from 2019.
With files from CTV News' Andrew Brennan and The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Apple unveils new iPad Pro with 'outrageously powerful' AI-powered chip
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.