Police in Bridgewater, N.S. say the death of an 83-year-old woman found inside her home Sunday morning was a case of intimate partner violence.
It’s the eighth death in the province linked to domestic abuse since mid-October. Seven of those people killed were women.
Officers responded to a 911 call from a home on Haven Drive “for a female in medical distress,” Bridgewater Police Service said Monday.
Deputy police Chief Danny MacPhee told reporters the woman, identified as Patricia Tanner, had been assaulted. She died at the scene.
“The 911 call was received from a family member that was checking on their family. I cannot speak to the nature of the weapon at this stage. It’s evidentiary to the investigation,” said MacPhee.
Her 85-year-old husband, Andrew, was found in the house with self-inflicted injuries. He was arrested and later charged with first-degree murder.
“(He) was taken into custody and taken to hospital. So that was South Shore Regional Hospital where he was transported with our officers in tow,” said MacPhee.
The accused appeared in court remotely from hospital on Monday.
Police noted the two had been in a long-term relationship and the force did not have any documented incidents of prior intimate partner violence connected to them.
Get breaking National news
“We have no record. There’s no documented history between either parties involved in any of this,” MacPhee said. “It’s definitely one of the gaps that we found in intimate partner violence — that a lot of incidents aren’t reported or are under-reported.”
‘Our biggest fear as a community’
MacPhee was a member of the intimate partner violence committee with the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police for four years — and it’s an issue he’s been watching carefully.
“That was always our biggest fear as a community, that intimate partner violence was our biggest risk of a homicide in this community. We don’t have gang violence, we don’t have a lot of other violence. So that was always our fear,” he said.
He noted that Tanner’s death is the first homicide linked to intimate partner violence in the town.
“We’ve definitely had the risk (with) other incidents that were very serious,” he said.
He added there are “many factors on why these (incidents) happen” but that isolation and mental health were issues he’s noticed in past cases.
He noted in many intimate partner violence incidents, there had been no prior dealings with police or other service providers.
“They haven’t been in the health system. They haven’t been in children, family services. They haven’t been through victim services or the courts,” he said.
“So there is a history. It’s just not reported. And somebody has to know what’s going on and see that.”
He said this underscores the importance for police to make sure victims feel comfortable coming forward, and for families, friends and co-workers to speak up when they see red flags.
‘Act now’
Last September, the province signed a bill declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic in Nova Scotia.
In a statement, NDP Leader Claudia Chender called on the provincial government to “act now,” as there are other bills tabled to support consistent funding for organizations that fight intimate partner violence.
“As Nova Scotians hear the news from Bridgewater of another life lost to intimate partner violence, our thoughts are with the victim’s family, loved ones and the community. Over the course of only a few months, eight people in our province have been killed,” said Chender.
“Organizations like the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia that provide life-saving services to Nova Scotians experiencing violence continue to work in uncertainty, without knowing if they will continue to receive the necessary government funding to do this critical work.”
Anyone experiencing intimate partner violence can call 911 in the case of an emergency. Support is available in Nova Scotia by dialing 211, calling the provincial toll-free line at 1-855-225-0220, or visiting Nova Scotia 211 online. You can access support anonymously.
Comments