The Fédération des maisons d’hébergement Congratulates the Government on Establishing Specialized Domestic Violence Teams

The Fédération des maisons d’hébergement Congratulates the Government on Establishing Specialized Domestic Violence Teams

The Fédération des maisons d’hébergement (FMHF) welcomed the announcements of ministers Geneviève Guilbault and Simon Jolin-Barrette on domestic violence, for better support for victims and increased monitoring of offenders. The government announced the creation of specialized teams in addition to announcing that the police forces will undergo training to ensure the safety of women and children on the ground.

“The establishment of teams specializing in domestic violence is promising. Since domestic violence is a cross-cutting issue, we welcome the government’s commitment to deploy concrete measures to ensure a much more impervious safety net across Quebec. To this end, it is necessary not to underestimate their continuing education, in consultation with those working in the field, including women’s shelters, “declares the director of the FMHF, Manon Monastesse.

The FMHF also places high expectations in the involvement of the DPCP in the evaluation of the risk of homicide of offenders, in line with the recommendations of the Report of the Examination Committee for Deaths Associated with Domestic Violence “Agir ensemble pour sauver des vies “.

Recall that in 2019/2020, the members of the FMHF supported, among others, nearly 300 women who had experienced an attempted murder and more than 20% who had received death threats.

The FMHF therefore hopes that vertical prosecution can make the difference in supporting victims within the justice system, while hoping, however, that the establishment of a specialized tribunal is still under consideration. The FMHF mentions that these measures are a good first step, but that they must be accompanied by a set of measures that the report Rebuilding confidence comes in detail among its 190 recommendations.