‘No body, no proof’: Victim of domestic violence fearful as her abuser is released from prison

A stock image of a woman with her head in her hands. (Liza Summer/pexels.com)

Marie (not her real name), a mother of two, says she has been working hard to rebuild her life after being subjected to domestic violence and sexual abuse by her ex-partner, Noovo Info reports.

She says that when the two separated, he made her life a living hell.

She was only able to start breathing steadily again when he was incarcerated.

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Now, after serving two-thirds of his sentence, Marie’s ex is set to be released from prison.

“It’s a lot of stress, a lot of flashbacks and emotions,” she said.

Three days of hell

The three months following the couple’s separation were “intense,” the mother recalls, adding that the breaking point came when her ex showed up at her home and assaulted her for three days.

She says he was placing a ladder against her children’s window when she opened the door to see what was happening.

She says she didn’t have time to close the door before he was inside, grabbing her by the throat.

“I screamed. He said, ‘You’re going to do what I tell you because otherwise the children will pay,’” she said.

She followed his orders, fearing he would harm her children.

“It was three days of sexual assault,” Marie said. “As soon as I was sure the children were safe, I called the police. They got us out of there and took us to a shelter.”

• READ MORE: Châteauguay femicide victim ‘wanted divorce,’ says accused’s sister in courthouse

Given the seriousness of his actions, Marie’s ex was registered as a sex offender.

When the couple officially separated, she says he started threatening her and their children.

“I received death threats every two weeks, threats of kidnapping, threats of everything. There was nothing he didn’t think of,” she said.

Unable to take it anymore, she says she decided to block his phone number.

The next day, he kidnapped their son.

“He ended up bringing him back after a police officer called him and followed him. He said to me, ‘You’re smart enough to understand what just happened. Think about it because next time it’s going to be worse,’” she said.

A few days later, he kidnapped him again.

“No body, no proof,” he would regularly tell her.

He was arrested three times before being convicted and imprisoned.

He was charged with harassment, disclosure of intimate images without consent, trespassing, false imprisonment, armed sexual assault and numerous breaches of conditions.

• READ MORE: Man arrested after woman found dead in Châteauguay

Today, Marie considers herself a survivor, but says with his release, she’s far from feeling safe.

Court documents show that even during his incarceration, Marie’s ex continued to communicate with her until authorities intervened.

“Whether I want it or not, he still wants me,” she said. “I have a lot of support, my children have a lot of support.”

All the same, she adds that the impact on her children has been significant since their father’s imprisonment.

“My daughter has incredible night terrors. She doesn’t even want to be hugged anymore. She told me that she now knows that anyone can become a monster at any time,” she said. “My son has regressed incredibly. He’s not the same little boy anymore.”

In its report, Quebec’s youth protection centre (DPJ) assessed that there remains a serious risk of Marie’s ex seriously harming her and their children, even suggesting the possibility of a suicide-murder.

Given the imminent risk, the rapid response unit in her region has been activated, including police, the DPJ, women’s resources and organizations for men who commit violence.

• READ MORE: Quebecer who murdered partner, 2 children serving life sentence in men’s prison

In addition to her concerns about her ex’s release, Marie says she is under considerable financial stress because she is no longer eligible for compensation for victims of crime (IVAC) due to a reform that limits assistance to three years.

Marie says she is hopeful that her ex will be required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet when he is released from prison – a detail she won’t know until the day of his release.

Since the start of this year, 10 women have been murdered, six of them in the context of domestic violence.