I would like to add some comments.
We were asked about it during the consultations on the criminalization of coercive control. We even sent a letter in support of the recommendations of the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale in Quebec.
Criminalizing coercive control doesn't solve everything, but it gives authorities an additional tool to take into account the lived context and not just isolated events, such as assault, aggravated assault and harassment. The underlying context of spousal violence is less visible, but I would venture to say that it is more harmful than what is visible.
To enforce that, as my colleague said, police officers and prosecutors need to be well trained. In Quebec, the issue of coercive control has already been added to the directives of prosecutors in criminal and penal prosecutions. So that is already something they have to take into account when they analyze a case before deciding whether or not to lay charges.
It's certainly an additional tool for charges to be laid, but beyond that, criminalizing coercive control also sends a message that helps people who are experiencing coercive control recognize it. Society, police and prosecutors must recognize this, of course, but the people who experience it must also be aware of it.
Criminalization brings these things out into the open. It can help victims realize that what they're experiencing is really domestic violence and that their partner isn't just exercising control. Including this element in the Criminal Code also has that effect.