North has highest domestic violence deaths in BC, Coroners make recommendations

The BC Coroners Service is trying to diminish the rate of domestic violence with a new set of recommendations.

A Death Review Panel looked at 100 deaths from 75 separate incidents between 2010 and 2015. Northern BC had the highest rate of intimate partner violence (IPV) homicides at 7.1 murders per million people. The next highest rate was BC’s Interior at 3.7 per million.

Review Chair Michael Egilson says rural, northern communities may be more vulnerable because they’re isolated, the area may lack access to support services, and may suffer from longer police response times. North or south, Egilson says domestic abuse stretches across all demographics.

“It certainly cuts across all sectors of society, whether that by education or income or ethnic group, social status. All different groups were affected.”

The review found 12% of female victims were Aboriginal (7 of 57 cases) as were 25% of male victims (4 of 16 cases)

The review found women aged 20 years to 39 years, and age 50 to 59 years were the most frequent victims of intimate partner violence homicide.

The BC Coroners Service made three recommendations:

The first is to better educate residents on IPV and how to properly respond. This includes having the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence increase public awareness of IPV
risk factors, and explaining how to access community-based services.

Also directed at the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence, the second recommendation is focused on strengthening IPV safety planning and case management, like ways to identify common risks and assess service provider’s method of response.

It also advises the the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Children and Family Development to consider cultural safety through IPV cases.

Lastly, it recommends better IPV Data Access. This means coordinating dialogue between the Office of the Chief Information Officer, justice and public safety sectors to clarify legal aspects.

The BC Coroners Service will revise the investigative protocol to better it’s services as well, and recommends these all be implemented beginning in December 2017.