The province’s justice minister agrees there are some gaps when it comes to mandatory reporting related to possible intimate partner violence.
If someone shows up at emergency with gun shot or stab wounds, staff must report it to authorities, but when it comes to strangulation, there is no obligation to report the incident.
John Hogan told the Tim Powers Show on VOCM that they’re looking at ways of changing the current reporting protocol, but they have to examine all possible angles and consider potential risks.
He says they have to consider what risk there may be to a victim of intimate partner violence who may worry about their situation becoming worse if it was reported. Hogan says each situation is different, and it is important that victims are involved in the decisions regarding their welfare.