Keira’s Law, Bill-C-233, is named after 4-year-old Keira Kagan who was killed by her father in an apparent murder-suicide. The murder followed Keira’s mother repeatedly raising concerns for her daughter’s safety in family court, warning them about the father’s controlling behaviour and providing evidence of intimate partner violence.
Bill-C-233 aims to ensure that judges in the Canadian Family court system get education and training on intimate partner violence and coercive control.
Elizabeth Renzetti is a columnist for The Globe who has been reporting on and off on violence against women for over 30 years. She tells us about the stigma surrounding IPV, how to recognize coercive control, and the debate surrounding the criminalization of it.