A Newfoundland and Labrador provincial court judge is once again taking police to task over failing to address intimate partner violence.
Jude Wayne Gorman offered harsh criticism of the “dangerous” release of offenders in a sentencing decision rendered April 30.
Gorman sentenced a man to ten months in prison after being charged for uttering threats against his former partner and breaching release order conditions barring him from contacting her, among other offences.
“Whatever training this police force receives as regards the arrest and release of men charged with offences involving present or past intimate partners, needs to be reviewed,” Gorman wrote in his sentencing decision, referring to the RCMP.
According to the judge, the man said at the sentencing hearing in Corner Brook his crimes were “all because of women.”
The man was arrested on a mischief charge last September when he repeatedly tried to contact his former partner at her mother’s house. He was released the same day.
Gorman indicated the woman’s ex-partner continued to harass her over an extended period of time after subsequent arrests and releases, illustrating a violent pattern.
Gorman has called on both the RNC and RCMP to improve how they handle cases involving intimate partner violence.
“Police must understand… protecting the intimate partner who was the subject of the offence charged must be one of their prime concerns,” Gorman said.
It follows another stern warning Gorman gave in January for police to “rethink their approach” when it comes to dealing with complaints of threats and harassment in intimate partner relationships. In one case, the RNC advised a young woman to get a peace bond against her ex-partner rather than charge him.
Const. Stephanie Myers, a media relations officer with the RNC, said an investigation into how police handled that case is still ongoing.
All RNC members receive training in intimate partner violence, Myers said. This year, additional training was offered in Corner Brook and Labrador.
“We are always learning. We are always doing refreshers,” said Myers.
There are training days offered every six weeks, Myers said, which “often” include sessions on intimate partner violence.
She said training this year reinforces when to use options like emergency protection orders and peace bonds if police can’t lay a criminal charge. Recent training also included criminal investigations, resources police can offer, and follow-up support for survivors, she said.
“We respond in the best way that we know how,” said Myers.
She said police provide support for survivors, even if they don’t lay criminal charges.
In a statement to CBC News, the RCMP said all officers receive victim-centred and trauma informed training for dealing with intimate partner violence survivors.
“Decisions related to the release of an individual are made on information available to the police at the time of the offence in consultation with victims, public prosecutors (Crown Counsel) and other stakeholders as required,” reads the statement.
Violence Prevention Avalon East executive director Olivia Lynch wasn’t surprised by the judge’s comments earlier this year or his most recent.
Advocates say intimate partner violence is a big problem in N.L., and police need to do better
She agrees with Gorman’s suggestion that police organizations like the RNC and RCMP need further training to handle intimate partner violence cases.
“It is very alarming and there have been really shocking incidents across the province in the past couple of years, especially in the past couple of months,” Lynch told CBC News.
In April there were two unrelated shootings in Grand Falls-Windsor, which police later confirmed were acts of intimate partner violence.
One woman was shot and sent to hospital. The vehicle used by the suspect was later discovered nearby on an unserviced road, and a deceased person was found near the vehicle. Just days later, in a separate incident, another woman was fatally shot in the community.
Lynch said many victims don’t trust police — sometimes because they tried to report but didn’t receive the proper resources from the authorities. Others may feel unsafe calling the police because they live in a rural community where everyone knows each other.
Lynch said it’s urgently important for victims to feel they’re believed.
Violence Prevention Avalon East is proposing the province’s Victim Services take on a model similar to the Circle of Safety and Support which has proven successful in P.E.I.
The model involves regular meetings made up of people the victim or complainant chooses to bring to the table during interactions with the justice system. The group devises a safety plan that fluctuates with the outcome of any legal or social processes taking place, Lynch said.
She said extra resources like that, as well as pre-conviction ankle monitors — which Lynch has been tirelessly advocating for — could go a long way paired with added police training.
Support is available for anyone affected by intimate partner violence. If you need help or are in immediate danger, call 911. You can access support services and local resources by visiting endingviolencecanada.org
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