Good evening, committee. Thank you for having me here this evening.
My name is Brett Broadfoot, and I'm here to speak for my family, and most importantly, for my beautiful and now deceased daughter Breanna. I hope also to speak on behalf of other victims of intimate partner violence, for all the women who continue to live in fear of their abusers because they are still out on the streets after being charged with no accountability for the violent acts they have committed. I would like to share my family's personal experience at this time.
On March 15, 2024, my daughter Breanna was brutally attacked by her boyfriend. She was left with two black eyes, a fractured orbital bone, several other broken bones in her cheeks and severe bruising around her neck from his hands having been wrapped around them in strangulation. She was only 16 years old at the time.
Her attacker, age 18, was arrested on March 15 and charged with assault plus assault with choking and suffocation or strangulation. He was released from custody on the same day he was arrested. After being scheduled to attend court again on July 31, 2024, he was sent with orders to not commit, communicate or go near my daughter, as well as refrain from possessing any weapons. We couldn't believe he was released, just allowed to continue as if nothing happened, while Breanna remained in the hospital struggling to recover from the injuries he had inflicted upon her.
Our family felt that we had zero help or support during this time. We were set to sit alone with the knowledge that her attacker was just out there, unmonitored and unchallenged, ready to assault again whenever he wanted. Unfortunately, that thought came true.
On July 16, 2024, Breanna, now 17, was attacked again by the same individual, but this time in a much more serious way. At approximately 1 a.m. on July 17, we were awoken by the sound of a police sergeant knocking on our home door. We were told that our daughter had been taken to the critical care trauma unit at Victoria Hospital with multiple stab wounds. We were told that the same individual had abused her again.
Breanna fought as hard as she could, but unfortunately passed away from her injuries. On July 18, 2024, we lost our baby girl. Our worlds have changed forever.
To this day, I truly feel that Breanna could and should still be with us if her abuser had not been released after the original attack, or at least monitored.
Our system completely failed us, just as it has failed so many others in the past. We need to stop the catch-and-release of arrested abusers now. Granting immediate freedom to an individual who has violently assaulted and hospitalized a defenceless young girl or woman is incomprehensible to me. The strangulation charge needs to be taken more seriously. It's holding someone's life in their hands, letting them breathe or not breathe. Think about that.
This is a high-risk factor that should make someone be considered a violent offender. How is it not? Our system allows offenders to exist completely unmonitored, as if nothing has happened. Survivors are forced to live in constant fear of being abused again by the same man. This is not right. I know we can do better.
Let's work together to be part of the solution that stops this violence. Let's please take our heads out of the sand and make change now.
Thank you for your time.