A small brass knuckle in the shape of a cat with sharp ears, a brightly colored window-breaking pick, a knife hidden in a key: these are self-defense key rings, sometimes real bladed weapons. They are all the rage on social networks and they are gaining popularity with young Quebec women.
On Instagram and TikTok, videos that feature different self-defense items are particularly popular. We can see a young girl brushing her hair with a comb that contains a knife, or a surfer presenting her little Taser covered in glitter. Dozens of companies selling it can be found on social networks.
“There is a big trend now for this product,” says Diana Adam, head of Asteri Shop, which sells self-defense key chains. “I think it’s because the situation in the world is very unstable. Especially in Montreal, in recent months, there have been shootings quite regularly. ”
Sur la page Instagram d’Asteri Shop, on peut voir des vidéos où l’entrepreneure perce des melons d’eau à l’aide de coups-de-poing américains en forme de chat. Elle montre aussi comment briser des vitres à l’aide d’un petit outil.
La Montréalaise de 27 ans a ouvert sa boutique en ligne pour offrir des objets aux femmes qui souhaitent se sentir davantage en sécurité dans les rues.
Depuis janvier dernier, Diana Adam vend environ 500 porte-clés par mois. Parmi son stock : une alarme personnelle, un vaporisateur qui repousse officiellement les chiens et son fameux petit cou-de-poing américain félin. Elle vend près de 90 % de ces produits à des Canadiennes, et le reste à des Américaines.
Vendus rapidement
Marylou Bienvenue a aussi commencé à confectionner et à vendre des porte-clés d’autodéfense il y a quelques mois, après avoir subi un incident lié à de la violence conjugale. « J’aurais préféré avoir quelque chose pour me défendre puis m’aider à ce moment-là », confie-t-elle en entrevue avec La Presse. Elle a été surprise que ses premiers porte-clés se vendent rapidement.
« J’en avais vu de [sociétés américaines] who did, on TikTok a lot. But it was expensive, like 80 [dollars américains] without shipping and everything. I told myself that there must be a cheaper way to have it, ”she says.
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, THE PRESS
Marylou Bienvenue started making and selling self-defense key chains a few months ago.
The young woman therefore ordered various tools to make and sell them on her social networks. It includes a whistle, a flashlight and a glass breaker pick.
Marylou has received several positive comments from her customers, who say they are safer since obtaining this product.
“It’s not normal to be afraid”
Vivianne Proulx, 29, is one of Marylou Bienvenue’s clients. “I see small incidents of street harassment, and sometimes it’s a little scary”, she explains to Press. She is now carrying a glass breaker pick, a whistle, a personal alarm and a small flashlight in her bag.
Vivianne says she has already been followed home and received unsolicited advances. “You can’t really know how people are going to react when you tell them, ‘No, I’m not interested,’” she recalls.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Vivianne Proulx, 29, obtained a self-defense key ring.
“There is a lot of misogyny [dans la société], there are a lot of feminicides too. I think it’s worth it that women have at least something on them to defend themselves in an unfortunate situation, ”she adds.
Sandrine Gauthier, for her part, turned to Amazon to buy a keychain. She got herself a glass breaker pick, a whistle and a personal alarm with a flashlight in it.
It was after being followed by two men in public transport that Sandrine made the decision to buy these products.
“Having a keychain is good, but at the same time it’s sad to buy one because I shouldn’t have [besoin de ça] to defend myself, ”says Sandrine. “It is not normal to be afraid to go for a walk in 2021”, she adds.
Is it legal?
Are these small weapons so easy to find legal in Quebec? Yes and no, answers an expert.
While some self-defense key chains sold online are considered prohibited weapons, others are not.
Knives concealed in combs or keys are illegal. “Any device less than 30 cm long, which looks like a harmless object, but which is designed to conceal a knife or a blade” is prohibited, specifies the law.
With regard to sprays against dogs, “any product that can be obtained over the counter and intended as an animal repellant [habituellement les chiens et les ours] is legal ”, specifies the Sûreté du Québec. However, carrying pepper spray on your person is illegal.
Small brass knuckles in the shape of a cat do not appear to be prohibited weapons because they are made of plastic, says lawyer Louis Belleau. Brass knuckles must be metal to be prohibited.
As for the glass breakers, they do not appear at first glance as prohibited weapons.
However, “no matter [quel objet] which is neutral in itself, if you use it to assault someone, it’s going to be considered a weapon. You can be accused of assault with a weapon ”, specifies Me Belleau. Thus, a person who attacks another with a broomstick or a pipe could be charged with assault with a weapon.
What about self defense? “If it’s not considered excessive defense, your defense of self-defense will prevail. But if you use the item and you commit an assault more serious than what is necessary to repel the one you want to defend yourself from, then you may be convicted of assault, and possibly assault. made armed, ”explains the lawyer.
The Montreal Police Department “cannot specifically isolate the seizures that would have been made in connection” with the self-defense key chains and did not specify whether this type of object was at the heart of its concerns.