7 Quebec Women Have Been Killed Due To Gender-Based Violence In The Past 7 Weeks

In the past seven weeks, seven Quebec women have been killed due to gender-based violence, also known as femicide, Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault confirmed in a press conference on March 24. 

This article contains graphic content that might not be suitable for some readers.

The conference came days after 29-year-old Rebekah Harry was found critically injured in a LaSalle home. Harry died in-hospital on March 23 and her boyfriend has been charged with aggravated assault. 

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"We cannot accept this as a government, as a society [...] It has to stop," Guilbault said, noting that Quebec police have seen a 12% increase in domestic violence reports in recent years.

Across Canada, 54% of the victim services surveyed reported an increase in the number of victims they served during the pandemic. Calls for domestic disturbances were also up 12% during the first few months of the pandemic. 

A day before Harry's death, the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale warned that resources for the protection of women across the province were strained, exacerbated by COVID-19.

In a statement posted to its website, the organization called on the government to increase "insufficient" funding. 

"The opposite would be irresponsible [...] Our shelters are currently hampered by a lack of funding that weakens our teams and forces them to cut services," it said. 

SOS violence conjugale honours Quebec femicide victims

SOS violence conjugale, a non-profit organization that helps to ensure the safety of domestic violence victims, honoured the seven femicide victims on Instagram after each of their deaths.

The seven Quebec victims who have died as a result of femicide in 2021 are as follows:

• 29-year-old Rebekah Harry (March 23)

• 40-year-old Nadège Jolicoeur (March 19)

• 28-year-old Myriam Dallaire and her mother, 60-year-old Sylvie Bisson (March 1)

• 32-year-old Marly Edouard (February 21)

• 44-year-old Nancy Roy (February 23)

• 44-year-old Elisapee Angma (February 5)

If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic violence, call the Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1-866-863-0511 or find them online here.