Montreal police, prosecutors launch project to better address strangulation cases

By The Canadian Press on May 7, 2024.

Montreal police and the Quebec prosecutor's office are launching a pilot project to help them better address domestic violence-related strangulations. A Montreal police patch is seen on an officer during a news conference in Montreal, Thursday, March 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Montreal police and the Quebec prosecutor’s office are launching a pilot project to help authorities better address domestic violence-related strangulations.

Police say strangulation deserves particular attention because a person who is assaulted in that way by their partner is at far greater risk of being killed by them in the future.

They say the pilot project will focus on teaching police and prosecutors how to better identify and respond to domestic violence cases in which strangulation is a factor.

Officers will get specific training, while victims will be offered more support and given information about the different symptoms they might experience in the coming hours and days.

The prosecutor’s office says the project will help authorities do a better job at gathering evidence in strangulation cases to ensure that perpetrators can be charged.

Police say in a news release that the project is based off similar initiatives in the United States and will be deployed in eastern Montreal for an 18-month period.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2024.