Thank you, Madam Chair.
Good afternoon to all members of the committee.
My name is Harmy Mendoza. I am the executive director of WomanACT, a Toronto-based charitable organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence and advancing gender equity through systems change.
I want to thank the committee for its ongoing leadership in examining how legislative reforms can better protect women and children from violence.
Intimate partner violence remains an epidemic in Ontario and across Canada. We continue to see preventable femicides, each representing a life lost due to systemic failures.
Since November 2024, the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses has confirmed 35 femicides, with nearly 60% involving an intimate partner or family member.
Just last week, and this was actually 10 minutes from my house, Savannah Kulla, a young mother of four, was murdered by her former partner while he was out on bail for serious firearms charges related to her. Savannah's death was preventable.
It highlights the urgent need for reforms that prioritize risk assessment, survivor safety and accountability in our justice system.
The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee has found that 71% of the 515 domestic homicides in Ontario involved a known history of intimate partner violence. We must act on these warning signs before tragedy strikes.
Section 810 of the Criminal Code, which allows for peace bonds, was meant to be a preventive tool, yet its effectiveness remains inconsistent, and survivors face significant barriers.
For example, peace bonds are short-term, typically 12 months, when risk often persists for much longer. The burden of application frequently falls on survivors who are navigating a complex legal system while managing trauma and safety risks. Peace bonds often conflict with family court or child protection orders, leaving dangerous gaps in protection.
To strengthen section 810, reforms should extend duration and improve enforcement, supported by wraparound services like housing, financial aid and safety planning, especially at work; integrate social and economic supports, alongside legal protections, because safety depends not only on court orders but also on survivors' stability and independence; and align peace conditions across criminal, family and child protection systems for consistency and clarity. This will save lives.
Bill C-75 made important strides by recognizing IPV as an aggravating factor and introducing reverse onus provisions for repeat offenders.
However, implementation remains uneven. Survivors are often not informed of bail outcomes, and conditions are inconsistently enforced. Too often, decisions still prioritize the liberty of the accused over survivor safety, sometimes with devastating consequences, as we saw with Savannah's case.
We need stricter bail reform, paired with better coordination—that is very important—across justice, social service and community sectors. Legislation alone cannot prevent violence without consistent survivor-centred application.
Across all legislative areas, we need data that is survivor-centred; disaggregated by gender, race and immigration status; and focused on outcomes, not just processes.
Canada still lacks a legal definition of intimate partner violence in the Criminal Code. Establishing one, as seen in the U.K. and Australia, would provide consistency and accountability across systems.
Ultimately, safety must be at the heart of our justice reforms. Survivors should not have to navigate fragmented systems or depend on luck for protection. By embedding trauma-informed, survivor-centred and evidence-based practices, we can move forward to a future where no woman or child lives in fear of violence.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would be pleased to take any questions from the committee.
