Louire. ea SLECK/ACESN/RODGE/TILT CEL reA NC, Sigegence. |'Dawn Black, M.P New Westminster-Burnaby 4722 IMPERIAL STREET RURNABY, B.C. VEO 2ny TEL: (804) 800 7280 . TEL: 1604) 666 3064 HOUSE OF COMMONS 800 “aTH STREET CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES N@W WESTMINSTER, B.C. OTTAWA, CANACA Kt A CAE VIM 4K! TEL: (812) G82 8106 FAX: 1813) 002 5691 FAM, (604) 668 72289 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE . . .Eebruary 24, 1993 BLACK TO INTRODUCE ANTI-STALKING LEGISLATION OTTAWA ~ New Democrat status of women critic Dawn Black, M.P. (New Westminster-Burnaby) will introduce her private member’s bill on threats, intimidation and staiking in the House of Commons tomorrow, "Current Canadian law lets women down, It doesn’t protect them,” Ms. Black said, "I want to change that." "Our current laws are a hodge-podge of weak provisions enacted a long time ago without considering the situation of women victims of violence. We have seen that current methods cf attempting to keep away violent partners and ex-partuers, such as-restraining orders and peace bonds, result more often in subsequent abuse and death than in protection. A woman is more likely to be killed by an estranged partaer than anyone ¢lse, and this murder, attefipted murder and assault is very often preceded by a prolonged period of stalking, intimidation, harassment and threats,” Ms. Black continued, "Threats of death and bodily harm have been reported to police. Sometimes police feel they have the legal tools to pursue the matter, and sometimes they do not, often with tragic ends. "T have researched the laws of the American states which have enacted antl-stalking legislation. Canada hap not yet taken any such action. My private member’s bill brings together and strengthens current provisions of the Criminal Code, and draws on some of the ideas in the American laws. Canadians want this issue addressed in a meaningful way - a way that provides the protection we all have a right to expect. "My bill increases the penalty for subsequent convictions of uttering threats of death and serious bodily harm, including sexval assault, from a maximum of five years to ten years imprisonment, It introduces the idea of a more severe penalty for someons who breaches a& restraining order, and imposes a maximum of ten years and roinimum penalty of six :1onths imprisonment for continuing to harass, stalk, and threaten a person while subject to a restraining order. This minimum penalty ig the same as the minimum for the second offense of drunk driving. Surely we can take repeated threats and stalking of women and children as seriously as wo take the threat ta life and health posed by drunk drivers." "The bill also couches current Criminal Code provisions about following, besetting and watching a person in terms which would relate to the situations of women being stalked, and strengthens these provisions. It introduces the idea of a crimpinal offense of attempting to unlawfully control someone's behaviour through threats and acts designed to alarm, harass, intimidate or frighten the person. It recognizes that a threat to harm one’s children constitutes harassment," Ms. Black concluded. -40- For infonnaticn: (613) 992-9105 CC - Counerl aS BR Kw.