A public inquiry into the April 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting calls for a rethinking of how society deals with the “epidemic” of gender-based intimate partner and family violence.
In addition to creating better support for victims of such violence, the Mass Casualties Commission says the government should pass laws to abolish its policy of forced arrest and prosecution. .
Under Canadian law, the police must charge the victim with assault if there are reasonable grounds to do so, regardless of the victim’s will.
The commission says a “prevention-oriented public health approach to violence” should be adopted, including treatment of perpetrators.
Many men who commit gang violence have a history of domestic violence, and it is necessary to recognize that many mass murders begin with attacks on specific women.
A Halifax-based advocate said bold, transformative and necessary change is needed to achieve what the report recommends.
