Letter Re: Creating a criminal offence of committing domestic violence in the presence of a child

We wrote to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to express our appreciation as well as our concerns about a proposal to amend the Criminal Code to add a separate offence with respect to domestic violence where children are present or “witness” the violence. We commended the Association for its desire to address domestic violence, but cautioned that more consultation was necessary to ensure any amendment was drafted in such a way that victims of violence would not face criminalization under the new law. Read the letter.