Quebec provincial police have observed a notable rise in cases of intimate partner violence, but they clarify that this increase may not necessarily indicate a surge in violent incidents. Lt. Caroline Girard, who oversees the Sûreté du Québec’s intimate partner violence division, mentioned that more individuals might be feeling empowered to report such situations.
Over the past decade, police interventions in intimate partner violence cases have shown a significant uptick. According to data from the SQ, the number of criminal cases related to conjugal violence has tripled, escalating from approximately 4,266 cases in 2015 to 12,822 cases in 2024. These statistics were initially disclosed by La Presse.
The notable spikes were particularly notable post-2020, a trend that authorities attribute to various factors such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in reporting methodologies, and policy revisions. In the first eleven months of 2025, police initiated 8,989 inquiries, indicating a trajectory to match or surpass the previous year’s total. Since 2015, around 90,000 dossiers involving at least one criminal offense related to intimate partner violence have been documented.
Between 2015 and 2025, 72 police investigations were launched into the homicides of women within a conjugal setting, with annual figures ranging from three to ten cases. The year 2025 recorded seven such cases. These figures represent SQ investigations into the killings of women by current or former partners and are not finalized confirmed totals.
Recent reports indicated that four women in Quebec have lost their lives due to intimate partner violence in the initial weeks of 2026, as stated in a joint announcement by two provincial ministers. Likewise, an organization providing aid to intimate partner violence victims, SOS violence conjugale, noticed a surge in distress calls. The number of calls surged from under 25,000 in 2018 to over 60,000 the previous year. The demand for shelter among victims also spiked from roughly 7,000 in 2020 to 19,000 in 2025, according to the organization’s 2024-25 report.
Claudine Thibaudeau, a clinical coordinator at SOS violence conjugale, highlighted the challenges faced by women trying to leave abusive relationships due to housing concerns. Despite the positive aspect of increased awareness about intimate partner violence signs, the surge in calls has overloaded social workers, leading to a nearly 30% decrease in their success rate in assisting callers over five years.
The report by SOS violence conjugale emphasized an unprecedented demand for help, with executive director Jocelyne Jolin stressing the scarcity of available housing for those in need. Frédérique Bilodeau from La Méridienne, a women’s shelter for victims of intimate partner violence, advocated for expanding services to meet the growing demand, noting that the shelter has had to redirect individuals seeking assistance to other organizations further from their residences.
Thibaudeau expressed concern that despite the increase in calls, many individuals in need are still hesitant to seek help. She emphasized that each woman’s death due to intimate partner violence is not merely a personal tragedy but a collective failure of society. She urged collective action, stating, “Each and every one of us is part of the solution.”
In case of immediate danger or fear of safety, individuals are advised to call 911. For those affected by family or intimate partner violence, seeking assistance from crisis lines and local support services is recommended.