Quebec Court of Appeal overturns two-year sentence in favour of better protection for Inuk woman victim
8 October 2020
The Quebec Court of Appeal has overturned a two-year sentence delivered to an offender in a Nunavik domestic assault case, issuing a steeper penalty to the perpetrator in order to better protect the victim and discourage further violence.
The Sept. 25 ruling appears to be the first time a Canadian appeal court has considered new changes to federal sentencing law that prioritize deterrence in cases of violence against Indigenous women and girls.
In April 2018, L.P. attacked his common-law spouse with his fist, causing a 15-centimetre tear in her vagina. The Inuk woman lost a litre of blood and had to be medevaced to Montreal for care.