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Media Release
For
Immediate Release: March 4, 2002
Cross-Sectoral
Group Calls for Action on the
Hadley Recommendations
A province-wide
coalition of groups is calling on the Premier of Ontario to announce
immediate action to implement the recommendations of the inquest
into the death of Gillian Hadley. The Cross-Sectoral Violence
Against Women Strategy Group wants the Premier to announce the
government's plans on March 8, International Women's Day, exactly
one month after the release of the recommendations.
Press
Conference
Wednesday,
March 6, 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Queen's
Park Media Studio
Main Legislature Building, Queen's Park
On February 8, 2002 the Government of Ontario pledged to "carefully
review" the recommendations of the inquest into the death of
Gillian Hadley but made no commitment to implementation. Since 1998,
when a similar inquest into the death of Arlene May was held, a
total of 328 recommendations have been made to prevent the deaths
of women. The Ontario government claims to have "fundamentally
changed" the way the Province deals with domestic violence
cases. Women in communities all over Ontario, however, continue
to fear for their lives and the lives of their children.
The Cross-Sectoral
Strategy Group, which includes over 160 groups across the province,
is calling for adequate and proactive plans to address the deadly
circumstances that trap women in the abusive situations that lead
to their deaths. In the summer and fall of 2000, in response to
the deaths of women, including Gillian Hadley, the Cross-Sectoral
Strategy Group provided a list of Emergency Measures much like those
of the Hadley jury. Although the group won significant victories
on the measures, much of the needed supports remain un-addressed.
After the press
conference, the Cross-Sectoral Group will be delivering a letter
of request to the Premier calling for action.
For more
information:
Pam Cross,
METRAC - 416-392-3148
Eileen Morrow,
OAITH - 416-977-6619
Letter
to the Premier dd March 6, 2002
Cross-Sectoral
Group Calls for
Action on the Hadley Recommendations
Letter
to the Premier
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 6, 2002
Premier Michael
Harris
Ontario Legislature
Queen's Park
TORONTO, Ontario
Dear Premier
Harris,
The Cross-Sectoral
Group on Violence Against Women and Children is writing to ask that
you respond immediately to the recommendations of the coroner's
jury in the Inquest into the murder of Gillian Hadley, which were
released on February 8, 2002, one month before March 8, 2002 --
International Women's Day.
As you will
recall, we spoke with your government in September 2000, shortly
after the murder of Gillian Hadley and the murders of a number of
other women by their partners or former partners. As you know, approximately
40 women a year are murdered in Ontario in these circumstances.
In September 2000, we asked the Ontario legislature to implement
39 Emergency Measures to save the lives of women and children. These
measures focussed on community-based services, legal reforms and
economic survival and workplace safety and are closely mirrored,
and expanded upon, in the recommendations of the Hadley inquest
jury.
We are calling
upon you to announce your government=s acceptance of all the Hadley
recommendations and to begin the implementation process immediately
by establishing the implementation committee as detailed by the
jury in its first recommendation. We ask you to make this announcement
publicly on Friday March 8, 2002 -- International Women's Day. The
women and children of Ontario deserve this respect.
Yours very truly,
Pamela Cross
for
The Cross-Sectoral Violence
Against Women Working Group
A
Call to All Parties of the Ontario Legislature: Emergency Measures
for Women & Children - Summer 2000
The
Hadley Inquest - Commentary by Pamela Cross
Hadley
Inquest Jury Recommendations
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