Deaths of 5 people in southern Manitoba part of an epidemic of domestic violence: experts

The deaths of five people this week in southern Manitoba area clear example ofdomestic violence and come in the midst of an epidemic of intimate partner violence in the province and beyond, experts say.

"When anything ends in a fatality, when a life is taken, that's the most severe form of violence that someone can endure,"saidTracie Afifi, a University of Manitoba professor in the department of community health sciences.

"Here we have the death of an intimate partner [and]we have the deaths of three children that were part of that relationship and a fourth family member as well, who was also a child," she said.

"Without a doubt this is intimate partner violence."

Kendra Nixon, a professor in the faculty of social work at the U of M, says it's troubling to see the issue rising.

"We've experienced sevenyears of escalating rates of intimate partner violence in this country. It is an epidemic and we need to do something about it, [but] in order to solve a problem, we first have to identify it and name it.

RCMP have charged29-year old Ryan Howard Manoakeesickwithfive counts of first-degree murder, indicating they believe the killings were premeditated.

The victims are his30-year-old partner, Amanda Clearwater, their three childrensix-year-old daughter Bethany, four-year-old son Jayven, and 2-month-old daughter Isabella andanother relative of Clearwater's, 17-year-old Myah Gratton.

Thebodies were found in three separate locationsin southern Manitoba on Sundaya home in the town of Carmanand two locations on highways in the area.

In Monday's news conference, RCMPInsp. Tim Arseneaultwas asked if thekillings were being investigated as intimate partnerviolence.

"We understand the what. Now we need to understand the why. That's what takes longer," he said. "We're getting to that, but that's going to take time, and we want to get it right."

In an email sent later Tuesday to Radio-Canada, the RCMP did describe the killings in French as a horrible act of family violence.

Nixon expressed frustration that RCMP did not immediately characterize it as domestic violence.

"I don't understand what the rationale is," she said.

Both Afifi and Nixon say Canada is not doing enough toaddress the growing problem of intimate partner violence. Addressing that starts with acknowledging it when it happens, they say.

"When we're understanding why this happened, if we don't frame itwithin the context of intimate partner violence, then I think we are doing a huge disservice," Afifi said.

"It's estimated that about 20 per centof all homicides in Canada are due to intimate partner violence.That's something that I think a lot of people don't realize."

According to one study, intimate partner violence claims a woman's life every six days.And2022 Statistics Canada datashows Manitoba has the second-highest rate of intimate partner violence among Canadian provinces, just behind Saskatchewan.

But the actual rates are likely even higher, as an estimated80 per cent of domestic violence cases go unreported.

That might befor many reasons, particularly the threat levied against a woman by herpartner, said Nixon.

Abusive partners will useincidents like Sunday's as a threat, saying "I can do that to you too," she said.

'Almost no support for survivors'

Domestic violence is about control, saidKimlee Wong, a survivor-turned-advocate.

Many women arecaught between a rock and a hard place because they are abused if they stay, but even more threatened when they try to leave.

"When an abuser is losing that power and control, that's when theviolence usually escalates,"Wong said. "Yet we have almost no support for survivors and there's very little public awareness around the truth.

"So it basically leaves survivors on their own."

Nixon and Afifiagree thatbetter supports and resources are desperately needed.

Services might not exist in rural locations forsomeone who wantsto leave,while other victimssimply can't afford to. Housing and financial assistance are needed, Afifi said.

As well, shelters and advocates right now carry a heavy burden in protectingwomen who make the choice to leave, but are woefully underfunded and under-resourced, Nixon said.

"We put the onus on women for protecting themselves and their children but gender-based violence, intimate-partner violence impacts all of us. It impacts our communities," she said.

"Weall have a responsibility to be a part of the solution women's advocates, police, health care, education, community services, courts, justice, universities.We all have a part to play."

That's something Wong also stresses.

"Until we address this at every level of society, we're going to continue to have dead women and children," she said.

A focus on preventative measuresthat begins with education about healthy relationships, starting from early childhood through adolescence, is also needed, Afifi said.

And those who commit the violence cannot be overlooked,said Nixon.

"We need to do a better job addressing men's experiences of mental health. Men have higher rates of suicide, high rates of substance use, and have their own backgrounds of trauma. So we need services for men as well," she said.

"I know there are women who perpetrate violence and I know there are men who experience violence, butintimate partner violence is a very gendered phenomena. Women experience the more severe forms including domestic homicide."

Experts say Canada is in the midst of an intimate partner violence 'epidemic'

7 months ago

Duration 2:20

The deaths of five people this week in southern Manitoba show that Canada is not doing enough to address the problem of intimate partner violence problem, say those who research the topic and work in the field.