Ontario lacks urgency on declaring intimate-partner violence an epidemic, say experts
The Globe and Mail speaks to Kirsten Mercer about the Ontario government’s inaction on intimate partner violence
The Globe and Mail reports that the government has still responded to only 39 of the 68 recommendations aimed at the government following an inquest last summer into a triple femicide in rural Ontario. Among those expressing disappointment in the response was GP’s Kirsten Mercer:
Kirsten Mercer, a lawyer at Goldblatt Partners LLP, who served as counsel to EVA (End Violence Against Women) Renfrew County at the inquest, acknowledged that some of these changes are long-term in nature, and will take time – but she said they will also take collaboration.
“The fact that the government has (so far) failed to meaningfully engage with EVA or others on the front lines of the fight to end IPV, and have yet to convene an implementation committee to learn from (and be accountable to) those with direct experience with these issues, is disappointing and concerning,” she said.
“If the government is serious about ‘accepting’ these recommendations, it seems obvious that they would want to engage with those who were most involved in the inquest and who work to support those who are experiencing IPV.”