The British Columbia (B.C.) government praised the federal Liberals on Tuesday for introducing new legislation aimed at combating harmful and controlling behavior towards women.
During a media event on Tuesday, Provincial Attorney General Niki Sharma and B.C. Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity Jennifer Blatherwick expressed their support for the Protecting Victims Act proposed by the federal government.
The Act seeks to classify murders motivated by control, hate, sexual violence, or exploitation as first-degree, defining these crimes as femicide when the victim is a woman.
Currently, the Justice Department notes that some murders targeting women may be classified as first-degree while others are categorized as second-degree.
The proposed bill also aims to criminalize patterns of coercive or controlling behavior towards intimate partners, filling a gap in the current Criminal Code.
Additionally, the legislation seeks to expand the prohibition on non-consensual distribution of intimate images to include non-consensual deepfakes, a measure previously announced by Sharma in October.
Furthermore, the Act introduces a new offense targeting threats to distribute child sexual abuse material and ensures that the child luring offense includes extortion, particularly in sextortion cases.
Sharma emphasized that the bill includes amendments that B.C. has advocated for, describing them as “compassionate changes.”
She stressed the importance of reflecting the severity of intimate partner violence within the legal system and ensuring that perpetrators do not receive lenient punishments for murder resulting from a history of abuse.
In related developments, B.C. continues to address delays in assault cases and implements recommendations outlined in the 2025 report on the treatment of intimate partner violence survivors in the legal system.
Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Vancouver’s Battered Women Support Services (BWSS), praised the bill as a positive step forward, particularly highlighting the inclusion of the term ‘femicide.’
While acknowledging progress, MacDougall emphasized the ongoing need for further action to prevent violence and protect women.