Domestic and intrafamily violence

Domestic violence includes psychological, verbal, physical and sexual abuse as well as acts of financial domination, and controlling or coercive conduct towards an intimate partner - of the same gender or different gender, or towards this partner’s loved ones, property or pets.

It also applies to cases where the intimate partner is the target of a criminal offence by the suspect, even if they are not the direct victim, e.g., offence committed against the ex-partner’s new spouse.

Domestic violence can be experienced at any age. Actions towards the victim do not result from a loss of control by the perpetrator of violence but on the contrary are a chosen way of dominating the other person and asserting authority over them.

Violence is obliging a person to act against their will, using force, intimidation or fear to control or dominate them. It comes in different forms:

Emotional abuse
intimidating – humiliating – terrorizing – isolating – controlling

Verbal abuse
insulting – saying hurtful things

Physical abuse
shoving – slapping – hitting 

Sexual abuse
having unwanted sexual relations

Economic abuse
controlling finances – refusing to give money to the other person

There are many consequences of abuse:

For the victim: getting injured, feeling anxious, depressed, ill. Always feeling scared, losing self-respect and self-confidence, lacking concentration

For the children: being aggressive, depressed and having problems at school

For family members: not having good relations between them and being isolated

In an emergency, call 911.

• Get help from a professional, such as a doctor, a social worker or a psychologist (see help resources section)
• File a complaint with your neighbourhood police station (PDQ)
• Ask to stay in a shelter by contacting SOS violence conjugale
• If you are a perpetrator of violence and you resort to violence in your relationships, don’t hesitate to get support from resources available for you.
• If you know a victim of domestic violence, report the situation to the police.

Some actions to take before leaving your home

Preparing to leave: a delicate step

Collect your personal belongings accompanied by police officers

By the victim

• The victim may go to their neighbourhood police station to be accompanied by police officers.
• They may be accompanied by a loved one or a professional from a shelter or other organization.

By the perpetrator of violence

• This person must go to a neighbourhood police station to be accompanied by police officers if permitted by their release conditions.

In an emergency, call 911.

Essential resources

S.O.S. violence conjugale

Shelters, listening, guidance and referral services, in French and English

Multilingual website
1 800 363-9010, 24/7
Text: 438-601-1211, from 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

CAVAC (Crime Victims Assistance Center)

Support, post-traumatic and psychosocial intervention, and legal information on your rights and remedies, technical assistance and referral to specialized resources

Services also available in English and Spanish
514 277-9860
1 866 LE CAVAC (1 866 532-2822)
Monday to Friday, 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Rebâtir

Free legal consultation for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence

1 833-REBÂTIR (732-2847)
8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., it is possible to leave a message outside opening hours

DPCP info line on domestic violence and sexual abuse

Free and confidential service to obtain information on the court process, general handling of a police complaint, authorization for criminal prosecution and measures facilitating your testimony to the court as part of a complaint

1 877 547-DPCP (547-3727)
Monday to Friday, 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Director of Youth Protection (DPJ)

Protection of childhood and young people, reporting a child whose safety or development is compromised, help for parents

French-speaking clients: 514 896-3100
English-speaking clients (Batshaw): 514 935-6196

Emergency Financial Assistance Line

For fieldworkers serving victims

1 833 363-5238
24/7

Côté Cour (CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal)

Montréal courthouse
514 868-9577

Municipal court of Montréal
514 861-0141
Monday to Friday, 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Table de concertation en violence conjugale de Montréal

514 303-0328
Email: infos@tcvcm.ca

Legal support

AQPV (Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes)

Defending the rights and interests of victims of crime

514 526-9037
Email: aqpv@aqpv.ca

Éducaloi

Information on family law, separation and divorce

Juripop Legal Clinic

Affordable legal services for people whose financial situation does not allow them to retain the services of a private lawyer

1 855 JURIPOP (587-4767)
Email: reception@juripop.org
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Housing

Alliance MH2: Alliance of second-stage shelters for women and children victims of domestic violence

Email: info@alliancemh2.org

Shield of Athena

Support for women from ethnocultural communities who are victims of family violence and their children, and translation and interpretation services

514 274-8117 or 1 877 274-8117

Fédération des maisons d’hébergement pour femmes

Support for member shelters towards achieving their mission, representing and defending member shelters in dealings with the authorities

514 878-9757

West Island Women’s Shelter

514 620-4845
Email: info@rfoi.org
Alternat’Elle: 514 626-4445

Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale

514 878-9134
Email: info@maisons-femmes.qc.ca

Healthcare and psychosocial resources

Your neighbourhood CLSC

Psychosocial services provided by CLSCs across the SPVM’s territory

Info-Santé/Info-Social 1

Free and confidential telephone consultation service responding to questions and guiding, where necessary, to an appropriate resource in the healthcare and social services network

Call 811
24/7

Other resources

Native Friendship Centre of Montreal Inc.

514 499-1854 or 1 855-499-1854

Montreal LGBTQ+ Community Center

Services offered to people from gender and sexual diversity communities

514 528-8424
Email: info@ccglm.org

Women’s Centre of Montreal

Services for women from Québec, immigrant women and indigenous women

514 842-4780
Email: spl@centredesfemmesdemtl.org

Chez Doris, women’s shelter foundation

Women experiencing homelessness or in difficulty, Inuit and Indigenous women

514 937-2341
Email: info@chezdoris.org

Confédération des organismes de personnes handicapées du Québec

514 284-0155
Email: info@cophan.org

Native Women's Shelter of Montreal

Montréal 514 933-4688
Toll-free: 1 866-403-4688
Email: nakuset@gmail.com

Institut national de santé publique du Québec

(including list of resources)

514 864-1600

Inter ligne

Services offered to people from gender and sexual diversity communities

514 866-6788

La maison des femmes sourdes de Montréal

514 255-5680
Email: femmessourdes@mfsm.ca

RAPLIQ (Regroupement des activistes pour l'inclusion au Québec)

Defending the rights of people with disabilities

514 656-1664
Email: le.rapliq@gmail.com

Y des femmes

514 866-9941

To curb domestic violence on a long-term basis, the SPVM also wants to take preventative action by orienting individuals who resort to violence to help resources provided by the health, social services and community networks.

For many victims, therapeutic treatment of these individuals is important. In addition, many organizations consider that rehabilitation of these individuals is the best way of ensuring public safety in the long term.

Essential resources

À cœur d’hommes

Support network for men for a society without violence
1 877-660-7799
Email: info@acoeurdhomme.com

OP+ION

Alternative to domestic and intrafamily violence

514 527-1657

SAC

Support services for spouses of violent men (perpetrator and victim)

514 384-6296

Healthcare and psychosocial resources

Your neighbourhood CLSC

Psychosocial services provided by CLSCs across the SPVM’s territory

 Info-Santé/Info-Social 1

Free and confidential telephone consultation service responding to questions and guiding, where necessary, to an appropriate resource in the healthcare and social services network

Call 811
24/7

Other resources

211

Directory of social programs and resources in the vicinity of the island of Montréal

Free, confidential and multilingual (200 languages)
Call 211

Avant Coup

A non-profit community organization that provides therapeutic follow-up aimed at preventing the use of domestic violence.

438 380-4884

Booth Centre, Salvation Army

Community housing centre aimed at improving the quality of life of adult men in difficulty and at risk of becoming homeless

514 932-2214

Centre de ressources pour hommes de Montréal

Support, listening and referral services, without judgement, for men in difficulty

514 355-8300
1 833-673-2746 (1 833-OSE-CRHM)
Email: info@crhmontreal.ca

Information and Referral Centre of Greater Montréal

514 527-1388

Maison Jeun’Aide

Gradual social integration of inmates under federal jurisdiction who have been granted day parole as part of conditional release on a six-month community project program

514 932-4857

Maison Oxygène Montréal

Therapy centre for men who are perpetrators of domestic violence

Short-term shelter is possible in return for an affordable rent
514 655-6625
Email: oxygene@carrefourfamilial.com

Pôle d’expertise et de recherche en santé et bien-être des hommes

Email: polesbeh.ciussscn@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

Repère

Non-profit community organization encouraging the development of paternal skills by providing the tools required to fathers to create and maintain good relationships with their children

514 381-3511
Email: liaison@repere.org

Regroupement des organismes pour hommes de l’île de Montréal (ROHIM)

438 397-0698
Email: Info@rohim.net

Separated Fathers inc.

Non-profit referral organization reaching out to men and separated fathers experiencing a family transition

514 254-6120
Email: psi@peres-separes.qc.ca

Transition Centre Sud

Adult crime services centre

514 270-6633
Text: 514 270-2799

Section spécialisée en violence conjugale

Coercive Control: A Tool to Better Identify and Address Intimate Partner Violence published by the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence

Improving justice system practices to increase the safety of women who are victims of intimate partner violence

Technological self-defense guide for victims of IPV

Electronic directory of prevention, consultation or intervention tools on domestic violence [in French]

Fact sheet (in 11 languages), SOS violence conjugale

Process for reporting a crime in a conjugal violence context (including a video in 17 languages)

Judicial system, Gouvernement du Québec [in French]

• Support for victims and witnesses of domestic violence
• Anti-approach bracelet
• Violence and bullying, Gouvernement du Québec

Applied, interdisciplinary research on intimate, family and structural violence, Université Laval

Government policy

• Government action plan on domestic violence, 2018-2023, Gouvernement du Québec
• Act together to save lives:
• First annual report by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, Coroner’s Office, 2020 [in French]
• Second annual report by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, Coroner’s Office, 2022 [in French]
• Rebâtir (Rebuild trust) [in French]

Report of the expert committee on support for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, 2020 [in French]

• Intervention policy on domestic violence - Prevent, detect and counter domestic violence, Gouvernement du Québec, 1995 [in French]