Coercive control law will help survivors, but comes with risk of backlash, MPs told

“Victims and survivors are told, well, there’s nothing we can do here … or come back when something criminal, i.e. a physical or a sexual assault, occurs.”

The Department of Justice defines coercive control as a pattern of abusive behaviour used to control or dominate a family member or an intimate partner. It can include intimidation, threats to harm the victim or themselves, isolating victims from other family and friends, emotional abuse — including constant criticism — and economic abuse and control that forces the victim to be financially reliant on their abuser.

A group of Quebec women’s shelters says criminalization would provide a new tool to address domestic violence and send a clear message that such behaviour is unacceptable. The shelters also stressed there must be adequate training for police officers and prosecutors.

Louise Riendeau, co-lead of political affairs at the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale, said criminalization would allow the criminal justice system to respond to domestic violence more effectively. She added it would also help break the cycle of violence earlier, since coercive control is a predictor of homicide.

“Some women’s rights advocates fear that the criminalization of coercive control could backfire on the victims themselves. In particular, there is concern that more women will be charged than is currently the case, in cross-complaints,” Riendeau said in French, according to simultaneous translation.

Karine Barrette, a lawyer and project manager with the same group, told MPs the solution to that concern is to properly train and equip police officers and prosecutors.

Suzanne Zaccour, director of legal affairs at the National Association of Women and the Law, warned a provision involving care of children could lead abusers to accuse victims of being the controlling ones.

“Family courts, we’ve seen, have already started labelling survivors of domestic violence as engaging in coercive control because their attempts to keep themselves and their children safe are seen as controlling or alienating,” Zaccour said.

“So if this paragraph is not removed from the offence, abusers will exploit it to threaten survivors with criminalization, and that will make it more difficult to leave an abusive situation.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Coercive control law will help survivors, but comes with risk of backlash, MPs told

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