Madam Speaker, I rise in the House today on a sombre note. December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. It is a day to pause and reflect on the phenomenon of violence against women.
It is difficult to understand this phenomenon and therefore it is difficult to find a solution. I applaud the efforts of the citizens of Prince Edward Island who held a series of vigils calling attention to this serious issue and the need to stop domestic violence.
It appears that this type of violence is escalating. I know of one woman in Prince Edward Island who was beaten to death with a baseball bat while her five year old child was in the next room. The man who committed this horrific crime received a sentence of manslaughter with the possibility of parole in three years. This is but one example of punishment not fitting the crime.
The current response of the police and court systems to the perpetrators of these crimes does not provide protection to women who are harassed, threatened and assaulted by their abusers. In today's so-called--