Elizabeth Fry Society hosts events shedding light on intimate partner violence Wednesday

“50 per cent of women over the age of 16 have experienced domestic violence,” Dempsey-Caputo explains. “We know that in 2006, 12 per cent of prosecutions were domestic violence prosecutions, and we know that 40 per cent of children who see their mothers being abused will be abused themselves.”

Following the workshop, there is a free IPV and family law panel which will take place in the Mountain room at the Thompson Rivers University Conference Centre. That event features a pair of experts on helping people get out of intimate partner violence situations.

“We have a judge who’s coming — Judge Mariane Armstrong — who was a Crown prosecutor prior to becoming a judge,” Dempsey-Caputo says. “We have a gentleman [Marc Hull-Jacquin] coming out from Ontario. He actually founded an organization that will come in a move a woman’s possessions when the abuser is gone.”

According to Dempsey-Caputo, those committing the abuse often use possessions, children, pets and finances as means of control of their victims.

“They will have control of everything — the home, money — and they’re really isolated. Abusers are very good at isolating, so they don’t have friends, they don’t have the finances, and then they’re worried about their safety and what kind of supports are going to be out there.”

The morning workshop for service providers is already sold out. However, the panel discussion starts at 1:00 pm at the TRU Conference Centre.

by Adam Donnelly

Elizabeth Fry Society hosts events shedding light on intimate partner violence Wednesday

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