Domestic violence in Montreal | At least 10 women strangled per week

In Montreal, at least 10 women per week are strangled in a context of domestic violence.

Last year, 553 files linked to this reality were authorized by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).

This is only “the tip of the iceberg”, according to Commander Anouk St-Onge, head of the section specializing in domestic violence of the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM), while her police force has recorded 6,520 events linked to domestic violence in 2023.

This offense is “minimized and under-reported,” she insists. A pilot project launched today aims to change the situation and save lives.

Because a person living with a violent partner is 7.5 times more likely to be killed by their partner if they have been strangled by the latter in the past, according to an American study dating from 2008. This makes it one of the best predictors of homicide or femicide… provided you are able to recognize the signs. The problem is that this reality is “largely unknown” to the police, but also to judges and lawyers, warns the police officer.

Enduring myths

Commander St-Onge took the full measure of this lack of knowledge by signing up, three years ago, for a workshop on strangulation in the context of domestic violence “out of curiosity”, during a conference in the United States. She came away stunned.

“I realized that what I thought I knew were myths,” says the policewoman.

Among these myths: that strangulation leaves marks, even though it often leaves no visible injury.

Or even the one wanting that the victim will necessarily remember having been strangled.

Commander St-Onge then felt entrusted with a mission to correct this gap in the training of local police officers. Especially since at the same period, Quebec was shaken by a wave of feminicides.

Right away, the commander gives us a little quiz:

“If the victim is being strangled, is he able to scream? »

When pressure is placed on the side of the neck, blood circulation will be affected, but the person will be able to breathe and speak, explains the commander. This pressure is as dangerous as other forms of strangulation and can cause unconsciousness within seconds.

“Did you know that the victim can appear intoxicated when their disinhibition is caused by strangulation? », continues the policewoman. This explains why a patrol officer may believe – wrongly – that the victim is drunk or drugged. And this also explains why it could be difficult for the latter to recount her attack.

Another myth: “the force necessary to cause occlusion of the airways or blood vessels must be great,” she continues.

A pressure of only 11 psi is needed to cause carotid artery occlusion, the commander explains. In comparison, 20 psi is required to open a can of pop and 80 psi is the pressure of a handshake.

“And did you know that the victim of strangulation will often have no apparent symptoms even though their life may be in danger? “, she continues, listing the increased risks of pulmonary embolism, stroke, blood clots, brain damage – all due to a lack of oxygen.

An American study shows that only 3% of victims undergo a medical evaluation after the event. “We have no reason to believe that it is different here”, so much so that victims may have died of a stroke months after the attack without any links being made between the two, underlines the policewoman.

An SPVM-DPCP alliance

After her first specialized training, the commander began to “read everything” on the issue, to “reopen tons of police reports” to see if, and especially how, the strangulations were reported, in addition to following up other training in the United States.

She also found an important ally in the DPCP: M^e Maya Ducasse-Hathi.

Result: the SPVM and the DPCP are today launching this pilot project which will be deployed in the east of Montreal to begin with, but which could eventually extend to the entire island.

Thus, specialized training will be offered to patrol officers and investigators, as well as to DPCP prosecutors and certain organizations that help victims of domestic violence. A forensic pathologist will detail the dangers of strangulation and the signs that should not be overlooked.

“I never thought I would ask a victim if they leaked urine or stool,” the commander gives as an example. However, this is one of the signs when pressure is obstructing blood circulation. »

In addition, the police officers who intervene with victims will give them a small leaflet – without a logo, in case the violent spouse comes across it – in which the medical symptoms to watch out for are listed. They will also complete a supplementary investigation to the victim’s statement to better document the strangulation event and thus allow prosecutors to bring the charge that best reflects the seriousness of the action committed.

A worker from the Crime Victim Assistance Center will also travel to meet the victims (who consent). They will be encouraged to consult a doctor.

Before 2019, strangulation was mostly treated as an offense of common assault, explains M^e Ducasse-Hathi, and therefore able to be less severely punished. The Criminal Code was updated that year to introduce the section of assault by choking, suffocation or strangulation. The offense is now punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison.

The duo participated in the recent public coroner’s inquest into the murders of Dahia Khellaf, aged 42, and her sons Adam, 4, and Aksil, 2 – which occurred in Pointe-aux-Trembles in 2019. The three victims were strangled by Nabil Yssaad – M’s husband^me Khellaf – before he ended his life in the Joliette region by jumping from a hospital window.

The public inquiry revealed that the man had tried to strangle his wife in the past. The victim had confided in a psychosocial worker, but the police ignored him. A painful reminder of the importance of acting to better train everyone, believe the commander and the prosecutor.