'Awareness is not enough': Mother of murdered woman demands action on domestic violence
The mother of a murdered woman says concrete action is needed to end violence against women in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Debbie Hibbs, whose daughter Juliane was murdered by an ex-boyfriend in Conception Bay South in 2013, says Canadian laws were not strong enough to help her child — but could be strengthened for others.
"Awareness is not enough," Hibbs told a crowd assembled to observe the raising of the Purple Ribbon flag at Confederation Building on Friday.
"It's no good just to talk about the young girls and women who have been murdered, if we do nothing."
Inappropriate relationship: Hibbs
Juliane Hibbs was 35 when she was killed, alongside her fiance, at a health clinic in Conception Bay South. Police allege Brian Dawe shot and killed Hibbs and Vince Dillion on Oct. 15, 2013.
Dawe, who had broken up with Juliane Hibbs four years prior, then drove to a nearby cemetery, where he killed himself.
Debbie Hibbs says Dawe and Juliane Hibbs had been in a relationship for almost 20 years. She says Juliane Hibbs became involved with him when she was just 16 — he was 24.
But Debbie Hibbs says as a parent, she did not have enough power to intervene into the relationship, as Juliane was past the legal age of consent.
"All we were ever told was she was in the gray area of the law," she said.
Debbie Hibbs says that must change.
"Parents and guardians must be able to act," she said. "An abuse victim will definitely not say 'I need help, get me out'. Especially if that victim is only 16 years old."
Concrete action
Debbie Hibbs says she's been talking to Cathy Bennett, who is Newfoundland and Labrador's minister responsible for the status of women.
She wants to see concrete action taken to address gender-based violence in the province, including a change to Canadian law, education campaigns about healthy relationships, tougher court and parole conditions and restrictions on firearms for abusers.
She said people on court orders need to be required to check in more often with police, and that the use of tracking devices should be upgraded. She also said gun licenses should be suspended for those with violent tendencies.
"We have to work together and have the will to implement programs and change laws if we are serious about eradicating violence," she said.
'Emptiness is unbearable'
On Friday, Newfoundland and Labrador became the first province to raise a Purple Ribbon flag — dedicated to the fight to stop violence against women — in front of its legislature.
At a ceremony at Confederation Building, Debbie Hibbs said the pain her family went through was unparalleled.
"How do you come to terms with someone planning your daughter's murder...and then carrying out?" she asked "Murder is a different kind of grief."
"It's harder as the days go on, and that's not the normal way of grief. The grieving never ends, and the emptiness is unbearable."
She said violence against women is still rampant in society, and asked if any progress had been made.
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Georgina McGrath, a businesswoman, spoke about the physical and mental abuse she suffered in 2014.
McGrath said her partner attempted to kill her in September of 2014, and following a physical assault, she attempted suicide.
"I felt so alone and unwanted. I was beaten physically, but mentally I was destroyed," she said.
It was only after being released from the hospital that McGrath went to police.
Watch some of Georgina McGrath's speech below.
