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Improving the Police Response to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Ottawa Women have their Say

FALL 2015
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA

Improving the Police Response to Crimes of Violence
Against Women: Ottawa Women have their Say
Holly Johnson, Associate Professor, Department of Criminology, University of Ottawa
In January 2014, Ottawa Police Chief Charles
Bordeleau launched an initiative to improve the
police response to crimes of violence against
women. Service providers, women and their
advocates were invited to have input in a variety
of ways: an Advisory Committee was formed with
representation from diverse groups; a broader
range of service providers and community
agencies participated in a community forum; and
women who have had direct experience with the
Ottawa police were invited to share their views
by participating in a research study. Results
of this study are presented here along with a
snapshot of OPS statistical data.
This research study provided women in
Ottawa with a rare opportunity to share their
experiences and views and to have direct input

Faculty of Social Sciences
www.socialsciences.uOttawa.ca

into improving the policies and practices of the
Ottawa Police Service. A detailed questionnaire
asked women to describe what worked well for
them and where improvements are needed. A
total of 219 women participated in the study;
187 chose to participate online and 32 were
interviewed by telephone or in person by
specially trained interviewers.1
A majority of study participants (146) shared
experiences related to intimate partner violence,
37 had been sexually assaulted by men other
than partners2, and 36 experienced other forms
of violence, predominantly harassment, threats
and assaults. All but 10 of the perpetrators were
male. (See Appendix for additional details about
the study sample and the methodology). 3

 Improving the Police Response to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Ottawa Women have their Say

Why do women report to the police?
National victimization surveys, which interview
random samples of the population, find that crimes
of violence against women typically are not reported
to the police. The most recent victimization survey
conducted by Statistics Canada in 2009 finds that
just 30% of women assaulted by intimate partners
and less than 10% those who were sexually assaulted
reported these crimes to the police (Sinha, 2013).
This represents a decrease in the percentage of
women who reported intimate partner violence
from 38% in 2004, when the survey was previously
conducted, while reporting rates for sexual assault
remained at less than 10% over time. The low
number of sexually assaulted women in the Ottawa
study thus reflects the reluctance of women to
report more generally.
Women are often deterred from reporting male
violence when they are confronted with or anticipate
skepticism and blame for provoking the attack
or not reacting in stereotypical ways. Reasons
women provided in the Statistics Canada survey
for not reporting intimate partner violence relate
to concerns about becoming involved with the
criminal justice system or feeling that the police
wouldn’t be able to help, embarrassment, fear of
their partner, and wanting to keep the experience
private. Widespread societal biases and myths act
as an additional deterrent to women who have
been sexually assaulted as they have been shown
to negatively influence the reactions and decisions
of friends, family, police and other services to whom
women turn for support (Johnson, 2012).
In the Ottawa study, where all participants reported
the violence to the police, two-thirds of partner
assault (PA) victims and sexual assault (SA) victims
reported the violent incident themselves. One in
five women assaulted by partners and one in four
who were sexually assaulted did not want the
police involved but were encouraged or pressured
by others to report, or others made the decision
to involve the police.
Reluctance stemmed from
fear and shame and concerns
about how they would be
treated by the police, and
concerns from PA victims
about supporting themselves
independently of a violent
partner, and about possibly
making the situation worse.

Figure 1: Reasons for reporting to the police

The decision to involve the police is seldom
straightforward. When asked to expand on their
decision, many women described escalating or
imminent danger that outweighed initial fear or
reluctance, sometimes after years of partner abuse:
It was actually a 9/11 call for help because he had a
knife and was threatening and self-harming. I wanted
an ambulance but obviously the police also came. I was
very nervous what would happen to him (be assaulted,
tasered, etc.) because he was out of control.
After living in this abusive relationship for 4 years, I
was horrified that he put a drug in my drink without
my knowledge and I was in shock and fearful it would
escalate.
I didn’t want his life ruined, but I wanted him to stop
stalking me and leave me alone. I had told him to so
many times. He just wouldn’t. So in the end I felt like I
didn’t have a choice.
I thought I could manage it on my own and was afraid
if I involved the police he would kill me. In the end he
tried to kill me and I had to call the police to save my
life.
I reported a more “minor” incident immediately and
called 911 because he damaged my car as I was trying
to flee, but this report led me to reveal the more serious
assaults that had happened a few months before. I
wanted to involve the police only at the end when I
couldn’t take it anymore but
before that I didn’t want to get
him in trouble, even when he
attempted to kill me.

The decision to involve the police is
complicated by many factors and
having the person arrested is not
always the motivation.

The decision to involve the police is complicated by
many factors and having the person arrested is not
always the motivation. Most women report partner
violence when they need police protection for
themselves or their children, or want the person to
be told their behaviour is wrong and hope reporting
to the police will lead to the person getting help
(Figure 1). The primary reasons women cited for
reporting sexual assault are to prevent the same
thing happening to other women, to hold the
perpetrator accountable, and to obtain protection
from police.

In the words of women who
were sexually assaulted:

I became more afraid as the
evening went on that since he
was a taxi driver who knew
exactly where I lived that he would return and hurt or
assault me again.
I did it approximately four years after the abuse because
even after cutting ties with him he continued to email
and text me. I needed that to stop.
I had the address of the rapists and my sister had a
blood sample, since we had evidence I felt confident
that we would get a good response. I was wrong.
I was reluctant because of my mental health issues.
The assailant was a bartender, and it seemed
dangerous to leave it unreported.

 Improving the Police Response to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Ottawa Women have their Say

How did the police respond?
Concerns about involving the police were borne out
for many women. Only a slight majority of victims of
partner assault felt comfortable with the first officer
they spoke to about the incident in detail, felt the
officer was considerate of their feelings and opinions,
and rated the officer positively overall. Two-thirds
felt the officer believed what they said about the
incident (Figure 2).
For women who reported sexual assault, these rating
were considerably lower with fewer than half rating
the police positively on any of these measures.4

Data collected by the Ottawa Police Service also
shows that the extent to which they lay charges
varies depending on the type of offence. The
OPS responded to 24,762 domestic-related calls
for service over the five years from 2009 to 2013.
Two-thirds of these calls were recorded as domestic
disputes that did not involve a criminal offence. Cases
with a female victim or complainant totalled 6,694
or 82% of cases deemed to involve a partner-related
criminal offence and the remaining 18% (1,515 cases)
involved male victims or complainants. Most of the
criminal incidents were common assaults, serious
assaults (which includes assaults causing bodily
harm, assaults with a weapon and sexual assault),
threats and criminal harassment (stalking) (Figure 4).

Figure 2: Impressions of first officer
Figure 4: Type of offences in partner assaults against
female victims, OPS data

The Ottawa Police Service contains a Partner Assault
Unit and a Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit with
investigators specially trained to respond to these
crimes. Thirty-eight percent of PA victims and 44% of
women who reported a sexual assault had a followup interview with a police investigator. Women
who were referred to these units rated the police
investigators more highly than the first officers.
Just over half of these PA victims felt comfortable
speaking with the investigator, felt the investigator
was considerate of their feelings and explained the
process. Slightly higher percentages had all their
question answered and felt the investigator believed
them. Two-thirds rated the investigator as good or
satisfactory overall.
Compared with victims of PA, sexual assault victims
rated investigators lower, but rated them more
highly than first officers. Just half gave investigators a
good or satisfactory rating overall.

Police recorded that they laid charges in 56% of all
cases deemed to involve a criminal offence against
female victims or complainants; 13% were founded
but not solved and 29% were unfounded.
Charges were laid in 89% of serious assaults and just
over half of all cases of common assault, criminal
harassment, break and enter, and mischief (Figure
5). Half of threats were deemed to be unfounded
and just one-quarter resulted in charges. One-third
of breaches of court orders (such as probation and
protection orders) resulted in charges. Eighty-six
percent of persons who were charged in these cases
were male.

Figure 5: Charges laid in partner assault cases, OPS data

Figure 3: Impressions of investigator

The OPS follows a mandatory charging policy in cases
of partner assault where there are reasonable and
probable grounds to believe a crime has occurred
and there is sufficient evidence to lay a charge. Study
participants stated that charges were laid in 54% of
cases of partner assault and in 19% of cases of sexual
assault.

A slight majority of partner assault victims
gave police positive ratings; ratings by victims
of sexual assaults were less positive.

 Improving the Police Response to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Ottawa Women have their Say

It is OPS policy to treat complaints as unfounded
when, after an initial investigation, police determine
that a crime did not occur or do not find sufficient
evidence to establish that a crime has occurred;
founded not solved indicates that although a
crime has occurred there are not sufficient grounds
to pursue laying a charge, for example when
complainants cannot be located for follow-up or
refuse to cooperate with an investigation.
Statistics Canada compared the per capita rate of
family violence cases across large metropolitan
areas in Canada, based on the total number of cases
reported minus those deemed to be unfounded or
noncriminal, and found that Ottawa Police recorded
a rate that was half the average for these cities and
the lowest of all (Taylor-Butts, 2015). Differences in
rates across the country may reflect real differences
in the level of violence in local communities and
the overall violent crime rate in Ottawa is one of the
lowest among large cities (Boyce, 2015). However,
police statistics can also be affected by variations in
willingness of victims and witnesses to report these
crimes to the police, differences in police policies and
practices, or disparities in statistical record keeping.
OPS recorded 1,798 cases of sexual assault (excluding
those pertaining specifically to children) involving
female adult victims or complainants in the five-year
period between 2009 and 2013. Charges were laid in
19% of cases, 32% were coded as founded not solved
and 38% as unfounded. Complainants either did not
want charges laid or police used their discretion not
to lay charges in the remainder of cases. In 2013, the
OPS adopted a policy to examine unfounded cases
more closely and in that year sexual assaults deemed
to be unfounded dropped by half compared to
previous years to 21% while the category ‘founded
not solved’ rose to 47%.
If OPS has sufficient evidence to lay a charge in
sexual assault cases, but the victim does not want to
proceed, police will not lay a charge. According to
OPS data, the rate at which charges were laid varied
according to characteristics of the complainant,
such as her age, and circumstances of the offences,
including relationship to the suspect and where
the incident took place. Police were more likely to
lay charges in cases that involved suspects who
were intimate partners, women who were 25 years
of age or older, and incidents that took place on
public transit or in private dwellings. Those most
likely to be coded as founded not solved were cases
involving strangers, women between 18 and 29
years of age, and those that took place on public
transit, in outdoor areas, bars and restaurants. Sexual
assaults were more often coded as unfounded when
they involved family members (other than intimate
partners), friends and casual
acquaintances, teenagers
under 18 years of age, and
when they occurred at a
school, a dwelling, or an
institution (such as a shelter,
hospital or jail).

Overall, women responding to the survey were
happy with a decision to lay charges against the
perpetrator and unhappy when charges were not
laid. Those who were not happy to have charges
laid stated that this was due to hostile treatment
by police officers, charges being dropped, lengthy
court processes, and what the women perceived
to be lenient sentences or failure to get the help
the man needed to end his violent behaviour. Only
one-quarter of partner assault victims were aware of
mandatory charging prior to involvement with the
police and none of the women who were unhappy
to have charges laid for partner assault cited the
mandatory charging policy as a reason.
Some women had this to say when charges were not
laid:
I felt like he was more about “diffusing” the situation.
I told him my husband had a history of abuse, that I
was afraid of him and he needed help, and all the cop
did was ask us to calm down and talk about it in the
morning. No resources were given, no phone numbers,
no help…just to calm down.
Be more compassionate; believe their recounting
of events/story; DO NOT GIVE WOMEN THE OPTION
TO CHARGE OR NOT CHARGE their assailant. This
is not supposed to be an option – by giving women
this option it adds to the stress, confusion, selfvictimization/blame that they (can) feel for reporting
the incident which, for women who are perpetually
abused, will likely discourage them from reporting
future incidents.
I was trying to escape this man but I was charged.

What is a good response?
Research has shown that for many women who
report violent crimes to the police, procedural
justice—being treated fairly and with respect—is as
important as the outcome of the case (Spohn, Tellis
& O’Neal, 2015). When asked what about the police
response worked well for them, victims of partner
assault stressed a quick and compassionate response
which in some cases entailed acts as small as officers
writing down their name and the case number,
showing concern and empathy, or showing kindness
toward children. While some women emphasized
the need for female officers to be assigned to these
cases, others described male officers in very positive
terms. For example:
I came from an abusive family life and thought that
this was perfectly natural, in fact my mother sent me
back to him, my husband, when I left. The officer sat
and gently talked to me about abuse and let me know
this wasn’t normal and that
I didn’t have to live like that,
and thanks to him I have
changed my life, became
a nurse, and raised my
children on my own, and
now I have a wonderful
relationship with a kind,
loving, gentle man, we have

The officer sat and gently talked to me
about abuse and let me know this wasn’t
normal and that I didn’t have to live like
that, and thanks to him I have changed
my life .

 Improving the Police Response to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Ottawa Women have their Say

been together for six years, but I stayed single until I
dealt with my family issues and abuse I had grown up
in. The officer was a kind, good man.
They believed me. They recognized that I was in danger
when I did not see it or understand it.
One of the kids woke up and the officer got stickers
and made sure he was comfortable with an officer
in the house. Took the time needed to make me feel
comfortable. Was not made to feel it was a waste of
time.
Their quick action – kept me informed. Always believed
me. Never had an officer disbelieve me. Never came up.

I was referred to a detective and she’s absolutely
amazing. She put all of my concerns at ease, explained
every step of the process and presents as caring and
kind. Throughout the process I have felt that I have
been able to call her at any point to make inquiries. She
also takes everything I say seriously. I feel so fortunate
to have been assigned to this detective.
He got someone to cover at the front desk for him and
he took me and the friend I brought along into another
room so that there would be privacy. He got me kleenex
and water and listened and made notes, then let me
take the other sheet of paper home so I could fill out the
report there.

They listened as much as they talked. They were calm
when I was upset. It helped to restore some dignity to
a terrible and sadly embarrassing moment. They did
not judge or lecture. Nor did they convey the slightest
sense of criticism. Essentially, after years of doubting
that anyone would believe us or help, they did, and
without fanfare. In fact they appeared embarrassed by
our gratitude.

The follow-up interview with the investigator was
helpful in answering my questions about the process,
and my options.

When it came to the trial I did not want to testify. I was
too scared. This officer gave
me the strength to stand up
to my abuser and face him at
trial.

Women who rated the police highly and said they
would report a similar
experience of violence to
the police in the future
were predominantly those
who felt believed, felt they
received a respectful and
compassionate response
where their questions
were answered, and those
for whom police called a
support person or provided referrals to services in
the community. In the words of one woman:

These statements demonstrate that the actions
of individual police officers can have important
impacts on the wellbeing of the women they serve,
in ways that go beyond laying charges against the
perpetrators.

When it came to the trial I did not want
to testify. I was too scared. This officer
gave me the strength to stand up to my
abuser and face him at trial.

The initial 911 call and the
officer that met me at the Tim
Hortons to take my report
handled things perfectly,
from A to Z. In fact, if I knew
the name of the officer who responded to my first call
I would give him a huge hug and a sincere, heart-felt
thank you and even nominate him for an award if I
could! The way he handled things meant the world to
me and helped me by contrasting and emphasizing
the point that not ALL men are dangerous. Some men,
like him, have big hearts and are kind. By his example
and the stark contrast he offered, he showed me that
I deserved better. A simple thing like that helped get
me out of the dangerous addictive brainwashing of
domestic abuse. I needed to want that, to want to get
out, and by his example of kindness and compassion he
helped me see the light. I’m SO grateful to him. He set
me on a new path.
The first responder was strong and his written
statement was invaluable, otherwise no one would
believe me that my ex could be like that.

He was very supportive but at no time did he tell me
what to do. He listened, gave me the facts, answered my
questions and provided me with information sufficient
to make an informed choice.
Sexually assaulted women offered many of the same
views:
The process was explained to me in a language I
understood, considering I don’t know much about the
legal system it was very helpful.
At no point did I feel judged by them. I felt throughout
the entire response that they believed me.

One officer drove myself and my 3 little ones to my
father’s. He was a really nice officer. He was a talker and
he had me thinking about my situation and gave me
another way to look at the situation. I won’t ever forget
him.
It is OPS policy that the Victim Crisis Unit (VCU)
provides crisis intervention, support information and
referrals to victims of crime, tragic circumstances
and critical incidents. Over 80% of PA victims who
used the Victim Crisis Unit at OPS rated that service
positively.

Where can Ottawa police do better?
When asked how Ottawa police could improve their
response to women in a similar situation, many
women made suggestions related to operational
matters, such as assigning officers who are sensitive
and knowledgeable about the cultural background
of the women reporting violence, and ensuring
that female officers are assigned to these cases.
Others described behaviour that could be remedied
through training or oversight to ensure that policies
(such as the mandatory charging policy in cases of
partner assault) are followed. Victims of PA shared
these thoughts:

 Improving the Police Response to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Ottawa Women have their Say

A better understanding of the emotional and mental
strength it takes to come forward with something like
this. I promise you, you will have one tiny opening into
that part of a victim’s life. Don’t miss out on it. They
won’t come forward again for a LONG time.
A non-judgemental demeanour, more training
and victim stories relayed to police officers on their
experiences and problems they encountered. The
notion of the “perfect victim” really needs to be reevaluated and analyzed, as officers are often women’s
first contact and being mindful that they too get angry,
they get anxious, may drink, etc. but that does not
make them offenders or to be treated any differently.
The reality is that no matter our skin colour, what we
look like and how we act, we’re victims of a very scary,
traumatizing, emotionally-attacking crime and being
judged or having even more power taken away from us
will only push us away and therefore put us and others
at an even greater risk.
All I wanted was to be taken seriously. No one I spoke
with gave my any indication of what I should do next.
I was constantly the one trying to initiate contact with
the police and I feel that they did nothing about it. My
experiences dealing with the police have been more
damaging than my actual rape. They have made me
wonder if it was my fault or if it what happened to me
even matters. I do not feel safe knowing this man is
living free in Ottawa.

He told me I used the word ‘rape’ too liberally... told
me the assailant interpreted my body language wrong
and thought he was “laying the smooth moves”.
He told me I used the word ‘rape’ too liberally, told me if
I made a statement charges likely wouldn’t be pressed,
had to be begged by my friend to arrest the assailant
who was staying in the same place I was downtown
where the assault occurred and told me that the
assailant interpreted my body language wrong and
thought he was “laying the smooth moves”.
His body language was dismissive, rolling his eyes,
checking me out, inspecting my home.
He told me there would be serious consequences if I
were lying. He accused me of many things, such as lying
to him and not fighting or yelling enough.
I felt like I was putting him out when I needed a break to
compose myself, wanted a SASC Sexual Assault Support
Centre) counsellor present, he resisted heavily having
a witness to my interrogation – felt like I was being
interrogated.
She kept on telling me what my sister had said during
her interview. We had been given date rape drugs, so
because our few memories did not happen at the same
time, she implied we were lying.

Anything said at the scene should be presented in Court
to support victims. Breaches have to be taken seriously.
If a woman reports a breach, it has to be taken seriously
and the man should be charged. Otherwise he laughs
at police and doesn’t take it seriously. When the
police investigated the breaches and came back with
unfounded as a result, this was like re-victimization all
over again.

After giving my statement on camera (name of
investigator) said: “there is no criminal charge here”.
They proceeded to say that maybe I should learn how
to say “No” in the future. After a few days she followed
up with me and became angry with me for stating that
there was a lack of justice to women that report and
she insinuated that I was lying about my statement
anyway.

He made me feel like a liar and that what I had to say
didn’t matter and tried to put words in my mouth.

You shouldn’t make women repeatedly repeat their
stories!! You might as well hold them down while their
attacker continuously attacks them again. It’s not
different.

A main theme running throughout the responses
of sexual assault victims was that officers’ reactions
were often based on societal myths and biases
against women who report sexual violence. Many felt
police held them responsible and some threatened
repercussions if the woman was found to be
fabricating the attack:
I felt like I was a suspect being interviewed. I was told I
would be charged if I was found to be lying.
He asked me why I didn’t scream or fight more, and
didn’t seem to believe me.
I went in the next day to see the investigating officer.
Very cold, very unsympathetic. When I contacted him
later after giving a video statement he didn’t return my
calls. Basically he didn’t care. They don’t care at all.
He (the investigator) was horrible. Cold, uncaring,
unfeeling. Not empathetic at all. But most importantly
he didn’t care about finding who did this to me…. My
case remains unsolved. He left me a message on my
answering machine about the findings of the rape kit.
That isn’t a message you leave on a machine. He never
returned my calls or the calls of my brother. He was
awful and I was left with the impression that the police
are overpaid useless security guards frankly.

Summary and recommendations
This study was designed to assist the Ottawa Police
Service to improve their response toward crimes of
violence against women by hearing directly from
their primary client group: the women themselves.
Study participants described both positive and
negative experiences with OPS thus identifying
good practices that could be built upon and areas
where changes are needed and could be addressed
through training and oversight.
These women described a positive experience as one
characterized by empathy, respect and compassion
for the woman and her children, connecting
victims with community and family support, and
unequivocally holding the perpetrator responsible
through laying charges and expressly condemning
the violence. The gender of individual officers seems
less important, although some women emphatically
stressed the need for female officers to attend to
these crimes because of the traumatic effects of male
violence and the sensitive nature of the questioning.

 Improving the Police Response to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Ottawa Women have their Say

Although individual officers have made an important
difference in the lives of many women, other
study participants articulated experiences that left
them feeling demeaned, blamed for the violence
committed against them, and often left in dangerous
situations. Both the data compiled by OPS and
the study of women who shared their experiences
with OPS raise questions about cases that are
discontinued. Many women said they would not
report a similar experience to the OPS in the future,
signaling a loss of confidence in the police that may
increase the vulnerability of these and other women.
The experiences of sexual assault victims suggest
that myths and stereotypes that hold women
responsible for the attacks and assume that a great
many reports are fabricated underpin the actions
of some members of the OPS. These societal myths
are widespread (Johnson, 2012) and must be
continuously challenged within the Ottawa Police
Service and more broadly.
Specific recommendations to improve the
response of the OPS follow from the insights
offered by these women:

1. Continuously monitor decisions to discontinue
complaints as unfounded and to not refer cases to
investigators.
2. Provide information on the progress of the case
to each complainant with a clear explanation of why
a suspect will not be charged or an investigation
discontinued.
3. Implement ongoing training in collaboration

with community groups who provide services
to abused and sexually assaulted women to
ensure front line officers and investigators are
knowledgeable about the impacts of male
violence on women and are capable of providing a
nonjudgmental and compassionate response in all
cases. Incorporate training that challenges damaging
biases and stereotypes that potentially lie behind
decisions to discontinue cases.

4. Make victim safety a priority and ensure that

all reasonable measures are taken to thoroughly
investigate all complaints, connect victims with
community supports, hold perpetrators accountable
by laying charges, and take breaches of court orders
seriously.

5. Continuously review operations, policies and
practices within the OPS, in collaboration with
victim-serving agencies in the Ottawa community,
to identify areas needing improvement.
These study results illustrate the importance of a
consistent professional response from police when
women make the difficult decision to report violent
crime. The reluctance many women expressed in
coming forward to police, dissatisfaction with the
response they received, and avowal of many not
to report a similar experience in the future reflects
negatively on the Ottawa Police Service and on
the criminal justice system more broadly. On the
flip side, the respectful, compassionate response
from some police officers, where the violence was
swiftly condemned and women were connected to
community supports, made a very important and
immediate difference in the emotional wellbeing
of these women and for some it gave them the
strength required to leave violent relationships and
give testimony at trial. These study results suggest
practical ways in which the Ottawa Police Service
can continue to improve their response to crimes of
violence against women.

References
Beaupré, P., 2015. Intimate partner violence, in Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, 2013. Catalogue no.
85-002-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
Boyce, J. 2105. Police-reported crime statistics in Canada,
2014. Juristat. Catalogue no. 85-002-X. Ottawa: Statistics
Canada.
Johnson, H., 2012. Limits of a criminal justice response:
Trends in police and court processing of sexual assault, in
Sheehy, E., Sexual Assault in Canada: Law, Legal Practice and
Women’s Activism. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
Taylor-Butts, A., 2015. Overview of family violence, in
Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, 2013.
Catalogue no. 85-002-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
Sinha, M., 2013. Measuring Violence Against Women:
Statistical Trends. Catalogue no. 85-002-X. Ottawa: Statistics
Canada.
Spohn, C., Tellis, K. & O’Neal, E., 2015. Policing and
prosecuting sexual assault: Assessing the pathways to
justice, in Johnson, H., Fisher, B. & Jaquier, V., Critical Issues
on Violence Against Women. London: Routledge.  

The research was conducted independently of the Ottawa Police Service and local social service agencies. Participation was voluntary and responses are held
strictly confidential and anonymous in accordance with requirements of the University of Ottawa’s Research Ethics Board.

1

2

Sexual assaults by intimate partners are counted as intimate partner violence.

The sample was not randomly selected; those who chose to participate are therefore not necessarily representative of women who have experience with the
OPS following a violent incident.

3

For some sexually assaulted women, feeling uncomfortable talking to the officer was due to the sensitivity and nature of the experience rather than the skills or
characteristics of the officer.

4

Among partner assault cases recorded by police in Statistics Canada’s national Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 71% led to a charge, a rate that is calculated
based on cases deemed to be founded (Beaupré, 2015). If the same calculation is made for the OPS, the charging rate is 79%. Women responding to Statistics
Canada’s victimization survey say police came to the scene in 85% of spousal violence cases (a definition restricted to married or common-law partners) and laid
charges or made an arrest in 44% (Sinha, 2013).

5

The researcher entered into an agreement with the Ottawa Police Service to analyze statistical data on partner assault and sexual assault cases compiled by
the OPS over the five years from 2009 to 2013. All personal information, such as names, exact addresses and dates of birth were deleted. Under this agreement,
and approval granted by the University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board, the researcher further protects the confidentiality of all complainants, charged persons,
witnesses and other entities by storing the data in a secure password-protected location and releasing the results of all analyses in summary form in a way that
does not reveal the identity of individuals.

6

7

Domestic-related calls can include members of a household other than intimate partners.

 Improving the Police Response to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Ottawa Women have their Say

Appendix: Study sample and methodology
This study was conducted between November
24, 2014 and March 31, 2015. Participants were
recruited via websites, social media, bulletin boards,
community agencies and via the media. Outreach
was made to community agencies that provide
support to marginalized women in order to inform
women who may not have had other opportunities
to learn about the study. Three options were
available: women were invited to complete an online
survey or to be interviewed over the telephone or in
person. Six English and French speaking interviewers
were specially trained to conduct interviews. Inperson interviews took place in private spaces in
community agencies across Ottawa. A total of 219
women participated: 187 completed the survey
online and 32 women took the option of being
interviewed.
There were five criteria for participation: to be 18
years of age or older; to have lived all or part of life
as a woman; to have experienced some form of
violence or abuse while living in Ottawa; to have
had some kind of interaction with the Ottawa Police
Service related to this violent incident; and, to have
all police investigation and court hearings related
to the case completed. Ethics approval was granted
from the University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board.
The study was conducted independently of the OPS
and community agencies. Responses were obtained
anonymously to protect the identity of the women
participating.
The sample was not randomly selected; those who
chose to participate are therefore not necessarily
representative of women who have experience
with the OPS following a violent incident. Table 1
shows the diversity of the sample. Although special
efforts were made to encourage new immigrants
to participate by training interviewers to recruit
and conduct interviews in a variety of languages
(including Arabic, Samali, Farsi, Cantonese, Mandarin
and Spanish), these efforts were less successful than
hoped. Just 20 participants speak a language other
than English or French at home, and these include
First Nations, Asian, Arabic, and some European
languages.

Table 1: Profile of the sample
at the time of the interview

The profile of the sample at the time of the violent
incident shows that these incidents occur across
the socio-economic spectrum. As shown in Table
2, 70% of study participants had at least some
post-secondary education and 26% were living in
households with income over $60,000. Thirty percent
of women had high school education or less and the
same percentage reported personal income of less
than $12,000 per year.

Table 2: Profile of the sample
at the time of the violent incident

Holly Johnson, Associate Professor, Department of Criminology, University of Ottawa
Professor Johnson’s research interests focus on the effectiveness of criminal justice and
societal responses to violence against women.