Clarington Council has voted to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic, supporting the Region of Durham, which declared intimate partner violence an epidemic and is calling on the Ontario Government to do the same.
The Violence Prevention Coordination Council of Durham, representing 35 local agencies, including Bethesda House, Bowmanville’s women’s shelter, reported a significant increase in demand for assistance from local support providers, said a council update earlier this month.
In the 2021-22 fiscal year, Durham Victim Services supported 4,438 victims of intimate partner violence, up 32 per cent over four years and supported 916 victims of sexual violence, up 277 per cent over four years.
Clarington Council asked staff to investigate which recommendations could be implemented from the Renfrew County Inquest into intimate partner violence (which looked at the circumstances surrounding the death of three Renfrew County women murdered by a former partner and recommended systematic changes that could reduce the likelihood of it happening again).
It also also endorsed the Region of Durham integrating intimate partner violence into the Region’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.