WARNING: This story contains graphic content related to intimate partner violence, and may be disturbing to some readers. If you or someone you know may be a victim of intimate partner violence, you can call the Assaulted Women’s Crisis Lines at 416-863-0511, toll-free at 1-866-863-0511, or text #7233 on your Bell, Rogers, Fido or Telus mobile phone.
As legislative updates to the criminal code are set to be implemented next month, law enforcement agencies and advocates are drawing attention to the alarming rise in cases of strangulation associated with intimate partner violence (IPV). The upcoming Bail and Sentencing Reform Act will enforce a more rigorous examination of IPV allegations during bail hearings and will restrict conditional sentences for sexual assault convictions. For cases involving choking and strangulation, pre-trial detention is expected to become the standard procedure.
Audrey, a mother of two who spoke with CityNews about her experience of surviving intimate partner violence, has become a vocal advocate for these new legislative changes. For safety reasons, CityNews has chosen to conceal her identity and refer to her as Audrey. She recounted her journey, describing how the abuse started slowly with verbal insults, escalating to emotional manipulation that left her feeling powerless.
She explained, “It started with just name calling. It started with, ‘You’re fat today... then you get to the point where the only choices you have in your day are to be stupid or evil so you choose to be stupid... and that would include yelling and name-calling.” Audrey noted that the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the isolating factors in her life, allowing the abuse to escalate further. "The food isolation was definitely ramping up at this point, especially for one of the kids in the house," she said, emphasizing her urgency to leave the situation.
Despite lacking access to financial resources, Audrey managed to escape her situation during a 45-minute window, taking her children with her. Her abuser was subsequently taken into custody. While charges related to the sexual abuse were pursued, she expressed frustration that he was released on bail and did not serve prison time, highlighting the inadequacies of the judicial system in providing justice for survivors.
IPV-Related Strangulation Charges Rising in Peel Region
The Peel police reported a significant number of strangulation-related charges in the context of intimate partner violence. In 2024, officers filed 553 such charges, which saw a 9% increase in 2025, totaling 604 charges. By 2026, there were 248 strangulation charges laid already, indicating a troubling trend.
The Peel police have initiated a comprehensive strategy to tackle strangulation incidents, acknowledging it as a serious and historically underreported component of intimate partner violence. According to their statements, this initiative has led to improvements in recognizing, investigating, and supporting victims of strangulation while also enhancing awareness among first responders and community partners.
Importantly, statistics from the York Region Centre for Community Safety highlight the chilling reality that being strangled even once by an intimate partner raises the risk of homicide by that same abuser by a staggering 750%. Jaspreet Gill, Executive Director of the York Region Centre for Community Safety stated, “It’s imperative we all understand this issue, what non-fatal strangulation is, so that we know how to recognize it, document it, and prosecute it when the time comes.”
Expressing her hopes for the future of IPV victims, Audrey remarked, “I am excited these changes are in place because I really do feel the consequences and the position I am in now are not enough to keep us safe.” However, she also voiced her concerns regarding family court dynamics, indicating that survivors are often pressured into co-parenting arrangements that do not prioritize their safety. “I have to let him know where I am living essentially at any point in time,” she said, reflecting on the ongoing challenges that survivors face even after leaving an abusive relationship.
As skepticism remains surrounding the effectiveness of these new laws in safeguarding victims of intimate partner violence, the federal government has committed to monitoring cases as they progress through the judicial system.
