Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to all of the witnesses for being here.
I was at an event yesterday with Yellow Brick House, which organized a walk for survivors of violence against women and children. One of the things that was continually spoken about was a brave young lady who shared her story with us. I will keep her anonymous, because that's what she wanted us to do. Her story was one of abuse by a repeat abuser who continually abused her. Eight weeks before she was scheduled to be married, she decided that she could no longer stay in this relationship. Thank God for her strength. However, the abuser is still out there after being reported and arrested. She is running scared. She's fearing for her life.
I'm going to start with Lucas.
Lucas, do you think that if we are going to protect women like your sister, we need to ensure that the laws are strengthened so that criminals can be kept behind bars and women can feel free to walk the streets?