Madam Speaker, another petition that I have to present today is from Canadians across the country who want to note that it is established that the risk of violence against women increases while they are pregnant. Currently, in Canadian law, the injury or death of preborn children as victims of crime is not considered as an aggravating circumstance for sentencing purposes. Canada has no legal protection for preborn children, including the victims of violent crimes.
Justice requires that an attacker who abuses a pregnant woman and her preborn child be sentenced accordingly and that the sentence should match the crime. Therefore, the folks who have signed this petition are calling on the Government of Canada and the House of Commons to legislate the abuse of pregnant women and the infliction of harm on a preborn child as an aggravating circumstance for sentencing purposes in the Criminal Code.