(Ottawa) A New Democratic Party (NDP) private member’s bill that would criminalize a type of abuse known as coercive control is on its way to the Senate.
The bill introduced by Victoria MP Laurel Collins passed third reading unanimously in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
The bill would amend the Criminal Code to criminalize coercive control, which experts say is often used by abusers to isolate and instill fear in victims of domestic violence.
It defines coercive control as behavior that includes threatening violence against a partner, their child or pet, as well as attempting to control their finances and movements.
When the bill was presented last fall, Mr.me Collins shared part of her sister’s story, saying her partner confiscated her bank cards and keys to try to stop her from leaving.
Since then, the congresswoman says she has heard from hundreds of other people who have shared their own experiences of coercive control or that of someone they love.