RCMP was investigating alleged intimate partner violence before B.C. woman's death, says IIO

The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) says it is investigating the death of a woman in Merritt, B.C., after an advocacy group raised concerns over local RCMP's handling of the case.

Before the IIO stepped in, Merritt RCMP had been investigating the woman's Dec. 16 death, for which a man was charged with second degree murder.

But before the woman died, IIO says police had been in communication with the woman and were investigating alleged intimate partner violence. They were last in contact with her several days before she died, IIO says.

"The RCMP has provided information that the investigation occurred over a period of time prior to the death," reads an IIO statement.

The IIO investigates any incident involving police that results in serious harm or death.

Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director for Battered Women's Support Services, said the group contacted the IIO because they felt it was important for the case to be independently reviewed.

“Given the seriousness of the harm that this victim experienced and in the context of the prior police contact, it seemed appropriate to ask the [IIO] to review this case,” she said.

Her organization asked the watchdog to examine whether provincial policies around risk assessment and victim services were properly followed before the woman's death.

There are specific tools that can be used when investigating intimate partner violence, she said.

“Femicide can be predicted,” she said. “There's been evidence-based risk assessment tools that are established that help determine the potential lethality factors that are there.”

“You know, when a woman signals that she's preparing to separate from an abusive partner, this is the most lethal time and that's why it's very important to have a system, a coordinated response, that is there to help to support a victim.”

The IIO investigation comes as the province moves to strengthen its response to intimate partner violence.

B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma announced earlier this month that the province will be establishing a "comprehensive framework” to guide all those within the justice system to help better respond to intimate partner violence.

The changes came after the release of a systemic review in June of the province's treatment of victims, survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence in the legal system.

An average of 102 women and girls across Canada were victims of gender-related homicide each year from 2011 to 2021, according to Statistics Canada, and 93 per cent of those homicides were committed by a male intimate partner or family member of the victim.

The watchdog agency says it is investigating whether officer action or inaction in the case is connected to the woman's death, adding that the office will then determine whether "there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have occurred."