REGINA — The Cyberstalking and Coercive Control Act Thursday, which expands the definition of interpersonal violence passed in the legislature Thursday.
The Victims of Interpersonal Violence Act now includes cyberstalking and online harassment, as well as coercive and controlling behaviour.
According to a provincial government news release, the act provides protections for victims of interpersonal violence, including emergency orders to restrict perpetrators from contacting victims and a process for ending long-term tenancies where a victim is at risk of future violence.
The addition of cyberstalking and coercive control to the legislation identifies this conduct as a form of interpersonal violence and provides legislative support to victims. Expanding the definition of interpersonal violence to include cyberstalking bolsters provisions found in the Criminal Code, and addresses instances where individuals use or attempt to use tracking devices to monitor an individual without their consent.
Coercive control is a pattern of behaviour that seeks to take away a person's freedom and strip away their sense of self, the release points out. It can include behaviours like strictly controlling someone's finances, depriving them of their basic needs, closely monitoring their activities, and isolating them from family and friends.
The act is expected to come into force next week upon the approval of the lieutenant governor.
