Kingston Police say the murder of a woman at the hands of her male partner is the first ‘femicide’ case in the city.
But members of Kingston Interval House believe there are more cases of woman being killed or assaulted by their partner.
Leigh Martins, who is the Training, Education, and Volunteer Coordinator at KIH, says incidents like the one that occurred at a west-end home on May 16 happen more often than many people think.
26-year-old Hayden Harper-Brewer was arrested at the scene and is facing charges of first-degree murder in her death.
Officers were called to a home near Juniper Drive and Berrywood Crescent around 2:45 pm where they found a woman with serious injuries.
She was taken to hospital where she later died.
KIH’s Executive Director Theresa Metcalfe says it is heartbreaking whenever she hears stories of women being killed by their partner.
Since the news of the woman’s death, a lawyer from Kingston is leading the call to have the Province deem intimate partner violence as an epidemic.
Martins says Kingston and other communities have already recognized how big a problem IPV is.
Both Metcalfe and Martins say it is hard to ignore the number of women being assaulted by their male partner but they also acknowledge that intimate partner violence occurs even when the attacker and victim are of the same sex.
People who experience intimate partner violence are being encouraged to contact KIH at 613-546-1777 or Victim Services of Kingston and Frontenac 613-584-4834.
Written by Ken Hashizume
