A suspected femicide in Gatineau on Wednesday is intensifying calls for action on intimate partner violence in Quebec.
Police say a 30-year-old woman was allegedly killed by her partner, who then took his own life.
This would mark the 10th suspected femicide in the province this year, already surpassing 2025.
“The only reaction possible at this point is devastation. Every time there is a femicide, it’s always a failure,” said Claudine Thibaudeau, the clinical coordinator of SOS violence conjugale.
The case comes just days before Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette is set to table the proposed Gabie Renaud Law, which would let people check if a partner has a history of violence.
Gabie Renaud was a Quebec mother killed by her ex-partner last year despite previous warning signs. The law is inspired by Clare’s Law in the United Kingdom.
“Any way that we can provide more information to victims about the situation that they’re dealing with is positive, because it will help them to take more enlightened decisions regarding their situation,” said Thibaudeau.
READ: Some 600 people sign open letter calling for new Quebec law to prevent femicides
But some advocates say legislation alone won’t protect women already trapped in dangerous relationships.
“Yes, criminal records are relevant, but there’s also other sources of information that are relevant. For example, police foreign cards that are given to people or youth protection records that could be relevant in these cases,” said Elise Brien, the co-head of political affairs with the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale (RMFVVC).
“We have to be aware that for a lot of women, it may be a little bit too late. They may be already under the influence of coercive control, and for them, it may be, even if they know that their partner is dangerous, it is too dangerous for them to leave at this point.”
Brien explains that Quebec funding only covers only about 40 per cent of existing needs. She says the situation is critical, with more than half of requests made through SOS violence conjugale unable to find a suitable placement.
She adds that warning signs have been flashing red in 13 of Quebec’s 17 regions. One of those regions, she says, is the Outaouais, where Quebec’s latest suspected femicide victim was killed in Gatineau.
“Fifty per cent of these women who are able to find a place have to go outside of their region. So, of course, this is very alarming,” Brien said.
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“Last year at SOS violence conjugale, we got 15,000 people reaching out to ask for shelter,” added Thibaudeau. “From those people, we were only able to refer 45 per cent to shelters that had availability.”
Beyond the proposed law, advocates also argue the consequences for deadly acts of domestic violence often aren’t severe enough to send a strong message.
On Thursday, a 56-year-old Montreal-area man was sentenced to nine years in prison after fatally stabbing his wife during an argument. With credit for time served, he has just under six years left behind bars.
“We see situations where crimes of intimate partner violence have been committed and recognized, but the sentencing seems to be not representing the danger level,” said Thibaudeau. “And the fact that when a violence comes from someone who’s your intimate partner, who’s in your home, it should be recognized as worse.”
