'Not enough' support for domestic violence victims, offenders, says lawyer Lynn Moore
'It's hard to imagine that anyone's doing it worse than we are,' Moore says
A lawyer who represents sexual abuse survivors says Newfoundland and Labrador's justice system is lacking when it comes to services for victims — and offenders — of domestic violence.
- William Conway out on day parole without warning, Veronica Doyle's family says
- Jason Churchill set free 1 week after being sentenced
Last week, William Conway, who was sentenced to six and a half years in prison in June 2014 on a charge of criminal negligence causing the death of Veronica Doyle, was granted day parole.
It's hard to imagine that anyone's doing it worse than we are.- Lynn Moore
Jason Churchill, who was sentenced two weeks ago to 22 months in jail for aggravated assault of his wife Joan Barry, was also released from custody last week as an appeal works its way through the court.
Lawyer Lynn Moore, who has worked as a Crown prosecutor at family violence intervention court, said too many violent offenders are being released without the counselling they need.
"I understand that there's almost no programming happening at Her Majesty's Penitentiary, there's no counselling available to the offenders to teach them conflict resolution and the sources of the violence that they're perpetrating," said Moore.
"There's virtually nothing for the victims of violence in terms of again counselling or services."
According to Moore, the goal of the criminal justice system is ensuring changed behaviour of offenders, but that's not what's happening.
"It's totally a funding thing and we know that prison works for the period of time that the person's in jail, but if there's not some new learning that's going on it really does not do anything to curb behaviour," she said.
"I really don't know about other provinces, but it's hard to imagine that anyone's doing it worse than we are."
Moore added there are a number of transition houses for female victims in a few areas of the province, but said in a large part of the province there is nothing available to locally to offer help.