A coroner’s inquest into the deaths of three women killed by a man they were in previous relationships with is hearing recommendations for addressing gender-based and intimate partner violence.
A three-member panel on intimate partner violence is telling the inquest that the federal government should implement a national action plan on violence against women and gender-based violence.
Panel member Pam Cross, a lawyer and expert on violence against women, says that national action plan should feature sustainable funding for gender-based violence services across the country.
She adds that those services should be funded the same way other essential services, like hospitals and schools, are funded.
Carol Culleton, 66, Nathalie Warmerdam, 48, and Anastasia Kuzyk, 36, were killed on their properties in the Ottawa Valley by Basil Borutski, a man who had a known history of violence against women.
All three murders took place within an hour of each other on Sept. 22, 2015.
The inquest is exploring the circumstances of their deaths and is also considering several public policy issues directed at preventing future deaths and protecting victims of intimate partner violence in rural communities.
It’s expected to last three weeks and hear from approximately 30 witnesses.