'Women are dying': Cortney Lake's family calls for swift action on domestic violence

For the fifth year in a row, Cortney Lake's family gathered around a tree in Mount Pearl adorned with purple lights in honour of a mother whose disappearance has made them devastatingly aware of the fatal consequencesof domestic violence.

"If there was more being done, we would not be doing this here tonight, Cortney would be celebrating Christmas with us," said Lake's aunt, Donna Walsh, on Saturday.

CBC News asked Walsh about the work being done by the Atlantic Domestic Homicide Review Network. The group has been working on research, funding and training over the last year. The aim over the members' three-year term is to identity patterns and data stemming from domestic homicides in the Atlantic provinces.

• Atlantic Domestic Homicide Review Network marks 1 year. What's been done so far?

Understanding the barriers and gaps in service that women and men face when in abusive relationships is critical, Walsh said. She welcomes the outcome of any recommendations that the network may make.

However, she stresses the need for change immediately.

"Women are dying. Cortney was murdered," Walsh said.

"The system failed Cortney, the judicial system failed Cortney, and we need to put things in place to help other women."

Philip Smith is the lone suspect in Lake's disappearance, which has been deemed a homicide despite the fact that police never recovereda body.

On June 7, 2017 earlier the same day Lake was last seenSmith pleaded guilty to assault, distributing intimate images of Lake, and breaching prior orders to stay away from her and her mom Lisa Lake.

He was sentenced to two days time served, a year of probation and several conditions including not to contact or go near Lake or her mother.

Smith walked out of thecourtroom just before 4 p.m.

Lake was last seen less than four hours later getting in Smith's truck.

No charges were laid before hedied by suicide that following November.

Walsh said she wants to see government officials react with policy changes once the network makes its recommendations.

"That'swhere this needs to go and it has to happen quickly."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador