INVITATIONS TO RESPONSIBILITY
a presentation of the
MEN’S ACTION NETWORK
a member of the
Throughout this presentation we shall be
reminded of some of the cases of just 2
provinces: Ontario, Newfoundland &
Labrador
These cases identify just some of the Victims of
the Culture of Violence…
September 1997 - Mary O’Reilly, 51, Spruce
Brook, Newfoundland. Killed by her husband
Gerard O’Reilly who was charged, tried and
found not criminally responsible.
WE have a major problem…
Pandemic rates for far too long of…
Men’s violence against women,
children and other men…
leading to the destruction of families,
tearing away at the fabric of our
communities, and absorbing a tremendous
amount of precious resources.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
September 2003 – Anne Lucas, 56.
Stephenville, Newfoundland. Killed by
Robert Legge in her own home. He was
charged with 2nd degree murder.
August 2005 – Sarah Obed, 30. Died of stab
wounds; boyfriend involved, no charges
laid.
The CHALLENGE is…
How can we get a critical mass of men to…
• To speak out about men’s violence against
women?
• To make sexist attitudes or behaviors
toward women socially unacceptable
among men?
• To work with women on these issues as
partners and allies?
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
• July 1997 – Judy Ogden, 25. Port au Port,
Newfoundland. Killed by her ex-partner Dale
Ogden, charged with first degree murder.
• February 1998 – Pauline Lane, 35. Tilton,
Newfoundland. Killed by her half brother, David
Ryan charged with 2nd degree murder and
attempted murder of Pauline’s husband.
FIRST STEPS
Awareness of the extent of the problem and
outrage about it must be appreciated.
Examine the culture that produces such
male attitudes and behaviors.
Work towards a redefinition of what “normal”
means.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
2005 – Cathy MacDonald, 35. Port aux
Basques, Newfoundland. Killed by Glen
Brophy who then took his own life.
December 2005 – Shirley Parsons, 53.
Victoria, Newfoundland. Shot by her
husband Ben Parsons; convicted of 2nd
degree murder.
Becoming aware;
Statistics Canada reports…
In the year ending March 31, 2004, 52,127
women and 36,840 children were admitted
to shelters for abused women across
Canada.
Newfoundland and Labrador was the only
jurisdiction to show a rise in spousal
violence over the five-year period from
1999 to 2004.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
September 2005 – Geraldine Payne, 33.
Clarenville, Newfoundland. Strangled by
an acquaintance, Jamie Hart; charges laid.
November 2005 – Genevieve Hull, 52. Bay
D’Espoir, Newfoundland. Shot by Ronald
Skinner, who then committed suicide.
Becoming Aware…
In relation to family violence, more than 1000 calls
are made to the Royal Newfoundland
Constabulary each year in St. John’s, Corner
Brook and Labrador West.
The Iris Kirby House in St. John’s has had more
than 200 admissions and between 600 and 750
calls to its crisis line in each of the last three
years. The shelter reports that in 2008 the
average length of stay was 17 days.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
January 2006 – Rosalinda Concepcion,
32,mother of three. Welland, Ontario.
Rosalinda was found strangled to death in
her home after she failed to pick up her
children from school. Police arrived at the
home and discovered her common-law
partner in the house; Leonard James Kelly
was later charged with first-degree murder.
Statistics Canada reports…
Over the past 30 years, the percentage of persons
charged with first-degree murder in the spousal
homicide cases has risen and Men were twice
as likely as women to receive this charge.
Spousal violence makes up the single largest
category of convictions involving violent offenses
in non-specialized adult courts in Canada over
the five year period 1997 to 2002. Over 90% of
the offenders were male.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
January 2006 – Rose Boroja, 54, mother of
three. Markham, Ontario. Rose was found
strangled to death in her home, with
obvious signs of trauma to her body, after
a relative made an emergency call to the
police. Her husband, Pero Boroja, later
surrendered to police and was charged
with second-degree murder.
Domestic violence is not gender
neutral…
More than 60 women are killed annually in
Canada by their partners; these are not isolated
tragedies.
While statistics confirm that Canadian men are
more than twice as likely to be murdered then
are women, statistics can be misleading as
these include all homicides, the majority of which
are male on male attacks and have little to do
with domestic violence.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
January 2006 – Pamela George, 26.
Arnold’s Cove, Newfoundland. Shot by
Benjamin Craig Hickey and shortly
thereafter committed suicide.
The irrefutable facts are…
Women intimates are:
• Six times more likely to be sexually
assaulted;
• Five times more likely to be choked;
• Three times more likely to be physically
injured; and,
• Five times more likely to require medical
attention.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
February 2006 – Shao-Sang Liang, 38 and
her two children, Vivian and Ian, were
stabbed to death. Toronto, Ontario.
Neighbors listened to their screams and
did not intervene. They expressed
disbelief and surprise at the murders. Huc
Minh Chau, common-law partner of the
woman was arrested at the scene and
charged with three counts of first-degree
murder
More irrefutable facts…
Women also die at a much higher rate. In the
years 2004 and 2005 there were 157 women
killed in Canada by their intimate partners,
including boy friends and ex-boy friend’s,
compared to 32 men killed by their intimates or
ex-intimates.
In Canada, while overall homicide rates have been
decreasing, the domestic killings of women
have not, despite claims to the contrary.
The War on Women, 2007.
Brian Valee
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
March 2006 – Wendy LaFleche, 41, and her
two children Victoria and Jessie, were
beaten to death. Aurora, Ontario. Her
estranged husband, John LaFleche, Was
caught in a police chase near Barrie as he
fled and was later charged with three
counts of first-degree murder.
Numbers don’t lie…
70 Canadian women were killed by their husbands and exintimates in 2000; for the 5 years thereafter the number
exceeded 75 each year.
In 1998 almost 22,000 incidents of spousal assault were
reported to police in which 89% involved female victims
and 11% involved males.
There is no evidence that the number of Canadian male
abuse victims warrants the type of specialized services
that are required for female abuse victims.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
March 2006 – Fallon Mason, 23, mother of two
children. Brantford, Ontario. Fallon was found
dead in the town house she shared with two
preschool children, who were present at the
time. Later, police engaged in a lengthy standoff
with Greg Christopher Marks who finally
emerged from the home with injuries and blood
soaked clothing. He was arrested and taken to
hospital and later charged with first-degree
murder. The children were placed in foster care.
Statistics Canada reports…
36% of female victims of spousal violence and less
than 10% of victims of sexual assault reported
these crimes to the police in 2004.
Reasons for not reporting to police are varied and
include: fear of reprisals, shame and
embarrassment, and reluctance to become
involved with the police and courts.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
March 2006 – Beverly Clahar, 51. Avondale,
Newfoundland. Shot by Warwick Canning
who then committed suicide.
The reality…
On average, women are hit 35 times before they
call the police.
More than half of all Canadian women over the
age of 16 have encountered physical or sexual
violence in their lives.
People ask: “Why doesn’t she leave?” When the
question should be: “Why doesn’t he stop?”
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
March 2006 – Yvonne Marsh, 37. Wasaga
Beach, Ontario. Yvonne was found dead in
her home after a man turned himself in to
police, saying he had killed someone.
Reports said she had died as a result of
an axe attack. Yvonne had rejected a man
who was insisting that they have a
relationship after she separated from her
husband. Adam Newman was charged
with first-degree murder
Violence and children…
Studies indicate that children who witness violence
between their parents are at risk of behavior and
developmental problems and tend to either
become victims or perpetrators of violence later
in their lives.
Almost 40% of women assaulted by their spouse
say their children witnessed the attack and in
more than half of those cases the women
admitted to fear for their life.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
March 2006 - Jared Andrew Osidacz, 8,
Bradford, Ontario. Jared was stabbed to
death by his father at home with his
girlfriend and her eight-year-old daughter.
The girlfriend and her daughter were also
stabbed but survived. Approximately an
hour later, police shot Andrew Osidacz to
death in another residence where he was
holding his mother-in-law at the knifepoint.
Our society owns this problem…
“We have a serious problem of violence against
women – a serious historical problem in this
province. We have had a number of women
murdered, we have had very serious assaults, we
have families that have long-standing histories of
violence within their household.
This is all of our business when anyone is
experiencing violence. It’s our business when
children are growing up with violence and learning in
their lives that it’s normal behavior.”
- Leslie McLeod, President,
Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
April 2006 – Francine Mailley, 37 and her
three children Jessica, Brandon, and
Kevin were all shot to death. Ottawa,
Ontario. Francine was estranged from her
husband, François, who was found dead
on the lawn of the house with a gun beside
him. A note was left saying if he couldn’t
have her, no one would. François had
been taking anger management
counseling.
Leaving the abusive relationship is
the most dangerous time…
“In Canada between 1974 and 1992 the rate at
which women were killed by husbands from
whom they were separated was six times
higher then the rate at which women were
killed by husbands with whom they were
living. And those numbers do not include
women killed by boy friends and their exboyfriends.”
- Professor Leslie Tutty,
Department of Social Work, University of Calgary
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
April 2006 – Dale Cheryl Mapstone, 29.
Toronto, Ontario. Mother of two, Dale was
stabbed to death in front of her 10-year-old
son who tried to save his mother’s life by
jumping on the assailant’s back before
running to a neighbor for help. Dale’s
boyfriend Vaughan Maxwell Wilson, was
charged with second degree murder.
Domestic violence = FEAR
• Fear of the perpetrator’s violence;
• The risk [implicit fear] of being killed when
leaving; and,
• Fear that protection orders and the
criminal justice system will not protect
them.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
May 2006 – Natalie Novak, 20. Toronto,
Ontario. Natalie was stabbed to death in a
house where she was living while she
attended Ryerson University. Her exboyfriend Arssie Hindessa, was charged
with second degree murder. Police
reported that he had also been convicted
of assaulting Natalie in September of
2005.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
September 2006 – Angela Harkley, 33.
Shrewsbury, Ontario. Angela’s body was
found in a shallow grave in a marshy area
close to a home she shared with her
boyfriend. After standing off police for
several hours, her boyfriend was taken
from a car when he was overcome by a
fumes from a propane tank he had with
him. Bradley Warwick was charged with
first-degree murder.
Domestic violence is not accidental…
Abusers do not strike their partners because
they are out of control. They do it to
maintain control; to humiliate them; to
isolate them or punish them for asserting
their independence.
To end the violence against women we have
to go beyond the tactics and address the
power involved; particularly the economic
power.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
May 2006 – Seema Badhan, 19. Toronto,
Ontario. Seema was thrown off the 10th
floor balcony of the building where she
lived with her estranged husband.
Neighbors heard screams and arguing but
ignored it. Neighbors described the man
as peace loving and the couple was “so in
love”. Zohaib Shaukat was charged with
first-degree murder.
World Economic Forum Report
In 2005, the WEF, which is an independent
non-profit foundation based in Geneva,
assessed the gender gap by measuring
the extent to which women in 58 countries
have achieved equality with men in 5
critical areas: economic participation,
economic opportunity, political
empowerment, educational attainment,
and health and well-being.
2005 WEF Report
Conclusion: no country has yet to manage to
eliminate the gender gap.
Successful countries were the Nordic
countries, especially Sweden.
Canada ranked 7th and the United States
ranked 17th.
The lowest rank of 58 included Korea,
Jordan, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
June 2006 – Cindy McDonald, 29. London,
Ontario. Cindy was found in her backyard
with the knife through her chest. Her
boyfriend, Melvin Flores, was charged with
second degree murder. Flores was out on
bail with a no contact condition that had
been ordered in April after a charge of
uttering a death threat against Cindy.
It is time to recognize the Elephant
in the room…
Gross gender inequality
is the root cause of
the criminal violence against women
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
August 2006 – Goldie Loveless, 34.
Hermitage, Newfoundland. Shot by her
common law spouse, Shawn Skinner who
then committed suicide.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
October 2006 – Brenda Demoor, 39.
Brockville, Ontario. Brenda was found
dead in her apartment. No cause of death
was given, but authorities indicated there
was trauma to her body. Neighbors said
the apartment had been the site of a few
disturbances in recent months. Donald
Hutchinson who lived with Brenda was
charged with second degree murder.
A common cycle of battering…
• Tension building - increasing physical and
emotional abuse which the woman attempts to
control with coping techniques.
• Acute battering – a more intense phase which
may result in serious injury.
• Love and contrition, the honeymoon phase – the
abuser realizes he has gone too far and typically
exhibits loving, kind behavior, while apologizing
and promising it will never happen.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
November 2006 - Thayalini Subramaniam,
31. Markham, Ontario. Mother of three,
Thayalini Was found in her garage by her
17-year-old daughter. Cause of death,
according to the police, was homicidal
hanging with blunt force trauma injuries to
the head. Her husband, Sugirthanraj
Kailayapillai was charged with second
degree murder.
“Battering isn’t the tabootalking about it is.
And it can only continue if we
keep silent.”
- Jane Hurshman
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
December 2006 – Stephanie Stephenson, 33.
Brockville, Ontario. Mother of two, the maternity
nurse who was separated from her husband,
Stephanie was shot to death two days before
Christmas as she was walking to her car in the
driveway of her home. A relative said
Stephanie’s ex-husband had bothered her
repeatedly and she couldn’t do anything.
Andrew Stephenson was charged with firstdegree murder.
We are not just fighting
for women’s rights;
“
We are fighting for
women’s lives.”
- Stephen Lewis
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
February 2007 – Julie Crocker, 33, Markham,
Ontario and Paula Menendez, 34, Toronto
Ontario. Crocker had recently separated from
her husband, Chris Little. She was found
stabbed to death in the bedroom of her home
and Menendez, a physiotherapist, was found
strangled on the floor of Crocker’s garage. The
two women didn’t know each other, but Crocker
was dating Menendez’s estranged husband.
Little was charged with two counts of first-degree
murder.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
January 2008 – Sonya Rogers, 24.
Summerford, Newfoundland. Died
following multiple stab wounds inflicted by
Cody Burt who shortly thereafter took his
own life.
Victims of the Culture of Violence…
• March, 2008 – Dianne Whiteway, 46.
Killed by gun shot by her step-son,
Jonathan Whiteway who has been
charged with first degree murder.
Principles…to be discussed
• Domestic violence laws must be gender
specific, not gender neutral, because by a
wide margin women are the ones who end
up in the hospital or in the grave.
• Domestic violence is such a breach of
trust it should be considered as serious a
crime as attacking or murdering a police or
corrections officer.
More Basic Principles…to be
discussed
• The penalty for murder of an intimate
partner must be severe – 25 years without
parole. Otherwise, what deters a batterer
who sees news stories about men killing
their spouses being charged with
manslaughter, or second-degree murder,
and sentenced to 5, 10, or 15 years, of
which they would likely serve only a third?
More Basic Principles…to be
discussed
• Whenever possible the abuser should be
removed from the home, instead of
forcing women and children to hide out in
shelters.
• An abuser confined to a halfway house
would be required to wear an electronic
ankle bracelet and undergo counseling
until the courts were through with him.
More Basic Principles…to be
discussed
• A battered spouse should be provided counseling and be
supplied with a form of electronic “panic button” that
directly contacts police if she suddenly comes under
threat. These are being used effectively in Alberta,
Ontario, England, Israel, and in several US states.
• Any batterer breaking the terms of bail or court orders
against him, would be arrested on a new and serious
breach of trust charge. Break bail, you go to jail; no
second chances that have proved deadly for too many
women and their children.
Legislation to consider…
• Create a category of crime called femicide with
penalties the same as those for first-degree
murder (25 years without parole).
• Whenever there is a history of abuse and a
woman is killed by her male intimate the charge
should be femicide and the provocation defense
(she left me and I lost it) should not be allowed.
More legislation to consider…
• Establish halfway houses for batterers so that
women and children are not the ones forced to
leave the home.
• Implement legislation with adequate funding for
universal day care and provide women with
opportunities to earn income and escape a
battering spouse.
• Provide sustained funding for shelters and
housing, with counseling services, and income
support, so that women who flee are not forced
to return to a batterer for economic reasons.
Additional legislation to consider…
• Restore full funding for Status of Women
Canada and other women’s advocacy
groups.
• In cases of domestic violence, transfer
jurisdiction for restraining and protection
orders from civil courts to criminal courts,
with mandatory incarceration when orders
are breached.
Other considerations for
legislation…
• When restraining or protection orders are in
place, make it an offense for a private
investigator or other third-party aware of such
orders, to find, or seek to find, on behalf of an
abuser an estranged intimate partner who is in
hiding or in a shelter.
• Implement full registration and licensing of all
firearms.
• Insure adequate long-term funding of the frontline services needed by aboriginal women to
escape violence.
Additional legislation needed?
• To undertake comprehensive national research
on the magnitude of domestic violence.
• To ensure the full participation of aboriginal
women in the planning and implementation of
policies that correctly affect their welfare.
• To ensure adequate funding is available for
abusers to obtain effective long term narrative
therapy.
Education; to be considered…
• Include mandatory courses for those studying to
be teachers to train them to recognize students
who are from abusive homes, and alert
appropriate authorities who can provide
counseling and intervention in necessary.
• Develop courses to teach students from a young
age that physical and emotional abuse in the
home is unacceptable, illegal, and a gross
breach of trust.
Education; to be considered…
• Engage older students in meaningful
discussions on the dynamics of abuse and
engage willing survivors of severe abuse
to provide first-hand accounts of their
experience (similar to school presentations
on the tragic consequences of drunk
driving.)
What the Medical Profession might
F:\VPI Slide Show Victims of
Violence 2008 (all formats).pptdo?
Require private practice and hospital doctors
and nurses to keep up to date on the
available community resources for
domestic violence victims so they can
pass on this information to patients
requiring help.
Justice – Courts – might this
happen?
• Require prosecutors, judges, and justices of the peace to
have an understanding of domestic abuse and, in
particular, the elevated danger women and children face
when they attempt to leave, or have left, a batterer.
• Eliminate time delays between bail hearings and trials in
domestic abuse cases, to reduce the risk to battering
victims.
• Coordinate criminal in family law systems in domestic
violence cases to ensure that no contact protection
orders, take precedence over family law orders, until
safety measures are in place to protect women and
children threatened by violence.
Justice – Courts – could this help?
• Use electronic monitoring (ankle bracelets) with
global positioning technology for those charged
with domestic violence offenses who are on
parole, out on bail, or in a halfway house.
• Because the risk of harm increases dramatically
for a woman seeking a peace bond, deal with
such applications immediately, or issue an
emergency temporary order until a court date is
set.
Justice – Courts – could this help?
• Require the “best interests of the child” test to
include the impact of domestic violence on
children when custody and access are being
determined.
• Order mandatory risk assessments in all bail
hearings relating to domestic violence cases.
• Require that those charged with domestic
violence offenses who breach their bail
conditions be immediately incarcerated.
Justice – Courts – would this work?
• Upon conviction for a domestic violence
offense, the Crown should seek an order
requiring the offender to attend a batterer
intervention program as a probation
requirement.
• When an accused batterer is to be
released on bail, police, prosecutors, or
correctional officials must, without fail,
notify victims ahead of time.
Police – could this happen?
• For all domestic violence calls, have a “without
delay” response.
• Identify, monitor, and manage high-risk cases
and vigorously enforce bail conditions arising
from a violent offense or threat of violence.
• Institute a dedicated police unit that has links to
community-based experts to deal specifically
with high risk domestic violence cases, to insure
an appropriate response.
Police – could this happen too?
• Train 911 operators and dispatch personnel in
the issues surrounding domestic violence, and
provide them with prioritized questions to help
them assess the immediate risk to callers and to
first responders.
• Enter restraining orders into the Canadian Police
Information Center (CPIC) system immediately
so that if there is a breach there can be a quick
police response.
Police – could this happen?
• Establish a protocol between police and
prosecutors to ensure that persons
proposed as sureties be properly
investigated and fully informed about their
responsibilities and the potential penalties
should they breach their duty.
Business, Industry and Unions –
might these suggestions work?
• Establish a zero-tolerance policy regarding
sexual harassment and inappropriate
abusive, or degrading behavior, and make
sure all employees at all levels are aware
of it.
• Provide training on the issue of domestic
violence to executives, managers, and
company or union officers.
Business, Industry and Unions –
would these help?
• Ensure that effective policies are in place
authorizing investigations of sexual
harassment allegations.
• Provide confidential reporting and
counseling services to employees or union
members who may be victims of domestic
abuse or workplace harassment.
Churches and Clergy – would this
be possible?
• Meet with police, battered women’s
advocates and/or social workers to
understand the dynamics and
consequences of domestic violence.
• Assist victims of domestic violence and do
not hesitate to call in police or government
social services if there is ongoing abuse
within a family.
Churches and Clergy – would this
be possible?
• Speak out publicly and often against domestic
violence, and do not put “survival of the family”
or “staying together for the sake of the children”
ahead of a spouse’s safety.
• Where appropriate, inform new immigrants of
your congregations that some of the practices
involving treatment of women and girls in their
original countries may be inappropriate and/or
illegal in Canada.
Civic Organizations and Service Clubs
– would these suggestions be
acceptable?
• Have executives and event planners meet with
knowledgeable police officers, prosecutors, social
workers, or survivors who work with domestic violence
victims to gain a thorough understanding of the issue.
• Invite police, prosecutors, front-line social workers and/or
survivors of domestic abuse to speak at meetings or
conventions.
• Plan major fund-raising efforts to raise community
awareness of the problem and to provide financial aid to
emergency shelters for housing for battered women and
their children.
Civic Organizations and Service Clubs
– would these be possible?
• Engage as volunteers in shelter or house building
projects sponsored by their organizations.
• Have a core of knowledgeable male spokespersons
ready to respond to false or misleading claims in the
media from fringe groups who would diminish or discredit
those legitimately seeking to redress issues of gender
equality and violence against women.
• Engage in visible and persistent lobbying efforts with
governments at all levels for legislation promoting
gender equality and an end to criminal violence in the
home.
What can men do?
We can do our homework.
Listen to women; learn from their experience.
Read women’s literature. Read articles and
books about masculinity and the root causes of
violence.
Educate ourselves to see the connection between
how men are conditioned in this culture and
how that conditioning results in abusive
behaviour toward women.
What men can do…
• Reflect. How can we change our abusive
and controlling behaviour?
• For starters…confront sexist, racist,
homophobic, and any other bigoted
remarks or jokes.
• And consider using inclusive, neutral
language.
What can men do?
Don’t fund sexism.
Don’t purchase magazines, rent videos, or buy tapes and
CDs that portray women in sexually degrading or
violent ways.
Write to publishers and editors when we find sexism in
newspapers and magazines.
Protest the gratuitous use of violence against women in
television and film by writing TV and movie executives.
.
Men can challenge our politicians…
Challenge candidates for political office at
every level…
From student government to the Prime
Minister of Canada;
Ask them to be committed to the full social,
economic, and political equality of all
people;
OPPOSE those who are not so committed.
Men can also…
•
Support and advocate for increased government
funding for battered women’s shelters, rape crisis
centres. Safety first.
•
Support and volunteer to assist programs that counsel
men who abuse women. Emphasize the need for
males to take responsibility for their actions.
•
Propose and/or support curriculum changes, at every
level of the educational system, that mandate courses
and programs to eliminate sexism and sexual violence.
Pressure school administrators to require these
activities.
And fundamentally, men can…
Invite other men to see the
advantages for all of us if we
support universal equality and
elimination of family violence.
Finally…organize a group of men –
in school, at work, or among a circle
of friends – to met regularly and
reflect on changing our behaviour
and being positive agents of
change.
Join the
MEN’S ACTION NETWORK