'Terrible phenomenon' of family homicides points to problem of rural intimate partner violence: advocate

Two horrific incidents of multiple homicides this year show better access to supports is needed in rural Manitoba, say southwestern Manitoba groups that work with people experiencing intimate partner violence.

Communities are in crisis after last week's triple homicide in the southwestern community of McCreary and the killing of five people — an adult, a teen and three young children — in the southern Manitoba town of Carman last February, says Kim Iwasiuk,  the director of counselling and advocacy at the Women's Resource Centre in Brandon.

Over her 20-year career, the province has continuously had one of the highest rates of intimate partner violence in Canada, said Iwasiuk. While there have been some positive changes, the recent tragedies show how dangerous rural intimate partner violence is becoming, she said.

"What we're seeing more of is this terrible phenomenon of families being murdered," Iwasiuk said.

"It's not just the partner, it's the children, it's grandparents, it's older siblings ... the grief around that trauma of losing an entire family. We have to be thinking of things differently."

Rural Manitobans need better access to domestic violence supports, Iwasiuk said. Her organization hopes to address those gaps with a year-long women and gender equity research project that starts in September.

It will involve going into communities to discuss intimate partner violence and how to better help, Iwasiuk said, and the findings will guide how the resource centre extends services across the Westman region.

"There's more vulnerability in rural areas," she said. "One of the things we want to identify ... [is] where are people going in the community that they can get this information in a quiet, confidential manner, not to escalate things at home."

Rural Manitobans looking to flee an abusive partner face many barriers, Iwasiuk said.

They often face limited transportation access, poor cellphone service and long police response times, or may not know where to get help. There may also be a sense that talking about intimate partner violence is taboo, she said.

That can create a feeling of isolation that can be hard to overcome.

Ross Robinson, the executive director of the John Howard Society of Brandon, says outreach workers visiting smaller rural communities often have trouble building relationships with those affected by intimate partner violence because they don't have a consistent presence.

The sense of isolation extends to access to doctors, nurse practitioners and other health-care supports that are often the first line in identifying when domestic violence is happening, he said.

The John Howard Society has tried to build connections through Zoom and other virtual means, but it's proven to be impersonal and not as effective as meeting in person, he said. It's trying to expand its Building Healthy Relationships program, which addresses intimate partner violence, but bringing people together can be challenging.