Helping victims of domestic violence

Several Okanagan organizations are banding together in hopes of better helping more victims of domestic violence.
On Monday, the Kelowna RCMP, Community Corrections, the Elizabeth Fry Society, the Central Okanagan RCMP Victims Services and the Kelowna Women’s Shelter signed a proclamation to share information to better respond to family violence.
Earlier this year, a scathing report by the province’s child and youth representative highlighted the gaps between agencies that handled domestic violence leading up to the murder of three children in Merritt.
The B.C. Ministry of Health says the protocol considers four main categories that indicate a risk for violence in relationships: the couple’s history, the perception of risk, the suspect’s history of violence and access to weapons.
The new factors now being considered to determine whether the risk of violence is imminent include: a past or pending separation, a history of strangling, choking or biting by the suspect, and the complainant’s perception of being a victim in the near future.
Kelowna was recently shown to have the third highest rate of domestic violence in the country and ranks top in B.C. A whopping 1,200 complaints are made in Kelowna to RCMP every year.
The new agreement was signed during a worldwide domestic violence awareness campaign, which will include a candlelight vigil Thursday in Kelowna.
RCMP hope the new protocol will prevent escalating violence in the community.
“But if you don’t report it, it’s not going to stop. It’s as simple as that,” said Superintendent Bill McKinnon.