Intimate partner violence continues to rise in Peel Region

One year after Peel Region declared intimate partner violence an epidemic, advocates warn that cases are continuing to rise.

The numbers are concerning, said Sharon Mayne, CEO of Catholic Family Services, Peel-Dufferin, which leads the Safe Centre of Peel.

The centre, based in Brampton, is a collective of 24 partner agencies who work collaboratively to support survivors of intimate partner violence. And last year, the organization saw a 270 per cent increase in the number of women who walked through their doors without a referral. 

According to Statistics Canada, in 2022, 59 per cent of female homicides in the country were due to family violence. 

"We're talking about very large numbers," Mayne said. 

"It's just really important for women out there to know that they're not alone, that they're not the only one experiencing this, that there are many women and many families who are struggling with this issue."

The Safe Centre of Peel is among the organizations and communities across Ontario that recognize every November as Woman Abuse Prevention Month.

Services at the Safe Centre include crisis and high-risk case management, system navigation, housing assistance, multicultural services, legal support, parenting support and child welfare all under one roof.

"A woman who visits only needs to remember one person's name and that's their navigator," said Mayne.

Peel Children's Aid Society (CAS) is also on the front lines of the crisis. Its CEO says intimate partner violence is the main reason for referrals to its organization, representing roughly one-third of all referrals and 58 per cent of referrals from police.

"In 2022-2023, we were at 29 per cent and last year we increased to 36 per cent," said CEO Mary Beth Moellenkamp.

"We know that this is a growing concern for the children and families that we're servicing and we also know that to keep children safe, you have to keep women safe," she said.

Year over year, she said, referrals related to intimate partner violence also continue to increase in risk and severity. 

Moellenkamp says Peel CAS has developed an intimate partner violence strategy to support families experiencing violence. Key elements of the strategy include building capacity across the agency, enhancing services to support survivors and engaging fathers who have perpetrated violence.