Staff arrange the transfer of the children from one school or daycare to another. Police accompany the woman to the family home so that she can gather important documents and personal belongings that can fit into one bag. These women and children harbour terrible guilt.”

“The cycle of abuse builds slowly until he has the woman and the children convinced his behaviour is all their fault.

Simard said abuse in an affluent setting can mean that the man showers the family with luxuries, but withholds food. It is often the first time they are really listened to and believed.” “When they arrive they are exhausted and often sleep for hours. “Most women are in survival mode,” Simard said. When they arrive, children are given a stuffed toy to help comfort them and the woman is given a kit with essentials, like toothbrushes and tooth paste, soap and feminine hygiene products. “We also have women who arrive directly from the hospital or are driven to the shelter by the police,” Simard said. Crucial advise is rendered, like making sure the GPS on the woman’s cellphone is deactivated, so her location cannot be traced by her partner. The staff will walk the woman through the process over the phone and support her every step of the way. The shelter has a website and a 24/7 crisis line. “We have staff who work with the children to help them adjust.” “The woman is aware that what she is doing is for the long-term benefit of the family, but the children don’t understand,” Simard said.

She said tension in the home might increase over the holidays, but violence against women happens all year long. The decision to break away takes courage. Simard told the Montreal Gazette that the number of calls received leading up to or over the holiday period does not necessarily spike. That number accounts for 30 per cent of the crimes against a person and 15 per cent of the homicides. But now the mother doesn’t have the means to buy Christmas gifts.”Īccording to Montreal police, 911 operators receive about 15,500 calls every year from women who are victims of violence. “The children are used to a certain lifestyle. “In the West Island, these women can come from affluent homes,” Simard said.

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