Spousal Abuse In Canada

738 Words3 Pages

Introduction to Spousal Abuse
Spousal abuse is a highly underestimated offence that continues to remain hidden between the law and justice. This controversial type of violence is a serious crime that is not directly penalized through today's law system. Instead, it is the individual's actions that must be charged through the Canadian Criminal Code. On average, a Canadian woman is murdered every six days by a current or previous partner. Many cases of domestic violence portray the husband physically and/or emotionally abusing their wife. However, domestic violence can also affect men. Two out of three reported spousal abuse victims are women and the other 33 percent are male. Typically, men are victim to emotional abuse, whereas women more frequently experience physical abuse. Domestic spousal violence is an indirect criminal act that physically and emotionally impacts victims, and negatively influences the dynamic of family kinship within Canadian Society.
A). Exploring the Legal Issue of Domestic Violence
The Criminal Code and Spousal Abuse
Although domestic violence is against the law, individuals are prosecuted under the Canadian Criminal Code, not for domestic violence directly. Since victims cannot press charges against the abuser themselves, they must receive aid from the police force. Some …show more content…

To compare, other violent crime offenders receive a prison sentence 29% of the time in comparison to the 19% of spousal abusers. http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/jr12/p5e.html Three out of four of convicted spouses receive probation as the most serious sentence. This statement shows the lack of severe prosecution being used to date.
Victims and the Lack of Confidence in the Justice

Open Document