Warning: This story may be upsetting for some readers.
Advocates are raising alarm bells after more than one woman per week has been killed in suspected domestic violence cases in Quebec since the year began.
SOS Violence Conjugale is a non-profit organization that works to ensure the safety of victims of intimate partner violence and their children.
The organization posted four notices with the names of the women killed in January.
“Each femicide is not an isolated tragedy, and we see that in a very eloquently sad fashion this year,” said clinical coordinator Claudine Thibaudeau. “It’s a collective failure to protect women. Something is wrong in our society, something is lacking, and we see that, unfortunately, leading to femicides.”
The first suspected femicide listed on the organization’s Facebook page was the death of Tadjan’ah Désir, 31. She was allegedly pushed from a third-floor balcony on New Year’s Day and died later that week in the hospital.
James Theramene has been charged with manslaughter in the case.
Abraham Bonzalez Leon, 43, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Susana Rocha Cruz, 44, who was reported missing on Jan. 7. Her body was discovered in the Saint Lawrence River in the Quebec City Port on Jan. 13.
The Quebec prosecutors’ office (DPCP) said there are no charges in the deaths of Veronic Champagne, 40, who was killed after sustaining serious injuries on Jan. 18. Her apartment was also set on fire.
Mary Iqiquq Tukalak, 54, was killed in an apparent murder-suicide on Jan. 5 in Nunavik.
“This is the tip of the iceberg,” said Thibaudeau. “There are so many women facing intimate partner violence in our society and femicide is the ultimate price to pay.”
Thibaudeau said that in the past seven years, calls to their organization have risen from 25,000 to 60,000 in 2025. During the same period, the number of people asking for help at shelters has increased from around 6,000 to almost 20,000.
Quebec provincial police (SQ) say conjugal violence reports have tripled in the past decade.
The most dangerous time for women “is when she is actually trying to leave,” said Marie-Emmanuelle Genesse, a PhD student in domestic violence at Queen’s University.
“Something that is really also always hitting very deeply is when people say, ‘Well why wasn’t she trying to leave?’ or ‘Why was she staying in this abusive relationship?’” said Genesse.
“Well, it actually is because this is the most risky time for her... These women, they know they’ve tried to leave, They know that they’ve had threats from their partner and their ex-partners, and this is why they’re staying because they know they’ll be killed.”
Genesse and Thibaudeau believe more prevention and awareness are needed.
“Whether it starts in primary school or high school, we need to teach young boys that girls are their equals and they [boys] can’t decide whether their girlfriend, if she wants to do something that they don’t want, well, it’s her life and she is equally as important and her decisions are equally as important as theirs,” said Genesse.
A spokesperson for the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Caroline Proulx, said that domestic violence is unacceptable and “must be denounced and combatted.”
“We are fully aware that the needs are dire and that demand is growing rapidly, which is putting significant pressure on community organizations,” said spokesperson Nicolas Gravel. “It is precisely for this reason that we are acting quickly.”
Gravel said that 13 shelters are open and 19 others are in development. Since 2017, he added, funding for organizations has increased by 97.6 per cent (nearly $156 million).
“We are working closely with our colleagues in Justice and Public Safety,” he added. “Together, we have invested nearly $1 billion in a series of concrete measures to respond quickly and effectively to people experiencing domestic violence.”
Support network
Victims of domestic violence can contact SOS violence conjugale at 1-800-363-9010.
Other resources:
- Federation des Maisons d’Hebergement pour Femmes
- Shield of Athena
- Espace Sans Violence
- Regroupement des Maisons Pour Femmes Victimes de Violence Conjugale
- Centre de Solidarite Lesbienne
With reporting from CTV News Montreal journalist Kelly Greig
