The RCMP made a press release on November 8th:

“Surrey RCMP was well represented at the Surrey Coalition Against Domestic Abuse conference on Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Newton. The conference included a film screening of ‘The Honest Truth’, a documentary which highlighted the case of Maria Catroppa who was murdered by her husband in Surrey in 2009.” Read the entire release here

Photo (l-r): City of Surrey Crime Reduction Manager Colleen Kerr, City of Surrey Councilor Barinder Rasode, Maria Catroppa’s daughters (Dr. Jay Tuason and Pina Osterman), Surrey Women’s Center Miriam Palacios, Alison Soroka, John Banovich, and Corpoal Drew Grainger

The We Can End All Violence Against Women coalition of BC (‘We Can BC’) is encouraging all residents in the lower mainland to attend the rally in support of Rumana Monzur, a UBC student who was viciously attacked by her husband in Dhaka, Bangladesh on June 5.

“It is extremely important, while we share in our grief for this terrible event, that we do not condone this behavior by remaining silent,” said Rick Craig, We Can BC co-chair and Executive Director of the Justice Education Society. 

“People must stand up and show that they will not tolerate violence against women, whether here in Canada, or anywhere else in the world.”

That this crime was committed against a South Asian woman, also studying and living in Canada, speaks to the borderless nature of violence against women, added Craig.  The We Can campaign BC was started by a collection of countries in South Asia, including Bangladesh.

“Violence against women takes different forms in different countries,” Craig said.  “But it is not a regional problem – it’s a worldwide problem.”

Miriam Palacios, We Can BC coalition member and Policy and Outreach Officer for Oxfam Canada, echoed this sentiment.

“Violence against women, no matter where it occurs, is a violation of human rights,” said Palacios.  “It is critical that we take this time to reflect on the attitudes and behaviours that contribute to these kinds of heinous acts of violence towards women.”

The opportunity to do just that – the rally to support Rumana Monzur – will be held on Sunday June 26, 2011 at 3pm, on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

About We Can BC

We Can End All Violence Against Women BC is a coalition of more than 60 BC-based organizations and individuals from diverse communities who are committed to a long-term and sustained process of changing attitudes that perpetuate violence against women.  For more information, visit www.WeCanBC.ca.
Media Contact:  Natalie Hill (classmate of Rumana Monzur, We Can Campaign), 
604 363 3201; Natalie@wecanbc.ca

Mr. Justice Josephson will deliver his verdict in Regina v. Damin at the Westminster Supreme Courthouse this Thursday, June 2nd at 9:30am. In her Surrey home on the morning of November 24, 2009, Maria Catroppa, a devoted mother of four, was killed by her husband. Emergency crews responding to a 911 call found Maria’s body in their Surrey home- she had been stabbed 126 times. Maria’s husband was charged with second degree murder in connection to her death. Maria’s family will gather at the courthouse in hopes that Damin is convicted of murder; they want justice and closure. Surrey Women’s Centre has been supporting the family through this difficult time. Although Maria’s family is devastated to be reliving the painful memories of the loss of their mother, they hope that the public profile of their tragedy will raise awareness about domestic violence and will prevent further murders. Maria Catroppa is one of several women murdered as a result of domestic violence in the City of Surrey in the past 5 years.

Battered Women’s Support Services and Surrey Women’s Centre have joined together again.  Social Justice Versus Criminal Justice:  When Women Became Victims is a blog series by Surrey Women’s Centre and  Battered Women’s Support Services which will seek to illuminate the current situation, the progressive dismantling of the social safety net for women and we will issue a call to action as we attempt to make the case why this is increasing the risk for women to experience gender based violence including sexual and physical assault.  

This is the first installment:  http://www.bwss.org/2011/05/social-justice-versus-criminal-justice-when-women-became-victims/

Please see www.bwss.org/endingviolence and http://www.surreywomencentre.ca/blog for the future installments

By Yolande Cole

B.C.’s Opposition NDP used Premier Christy Clark’s first day in the Legislature to question the leader on the government’s decision not to fund the participation of Downtown Eastside groups in the upcoming missing women inquiry.

Shortly after Clark was sworn in as MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey today (May 30), Clark was on the receiving end of multiple questions from the NDP caucus and leader Adrian Dix, who asked the premier to reverse a recent the funding decision.

“The government has chosen to deny funding to women’s groups, to aboriginal groups, to community groups in the Downtown Eastside at the missing women’s inquiry – this, in spite of the recommendation of Wally Oppal, who has recommended that these groups be heard, that their voices by heard at the inquiry,” said Dix. “Will the premier intervene to overturn this decision and make sure these voices are heard?”

Clark replied that the inquiry is committed to “making sure that we can hear from as many voices as is absolutely possible.”

“Certainly, this government called the inquiry in the first place and appointed Mr. Oppal to head it up because we want to make sure that people’s voices are heard, and we want to make sure that we get to the bottom of some of the problems down on the Downtown Eastside and make sure that when we get to the bottom of those problems, we have a way to move forward,” said Clark.

The question comes after Attorney General Barry Penner announced the government will fund the legal representation for the families of missing and murdered women.

Downtown Eastside organizations are criticizing the decision not to fund their legal counsel in order to participate in the inquiry. Oppal had recommended the province fund the participation of 13 groups, including a coalition formed by the February 14th Women’s Memorial March Committee and the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.

Angela Marie MacDougall of the Feb. 14th Women’s Memorial March Committee called Clark’s response to the questions “ill-informed”.

“The premier is really off the mark,” she told the Straight by phone. “We’d like to meet with her to inform her, because I think she needs the information…in terms of the provincial tragedy of murders and disappearances of women from Vancouver.”

MacDougall said the Downtown Eastside groups denied funding represent women who were “profoundly affected” by convicted serial killer Robert Pickton.

“It has been a struggle on every level, and now we’re struggling again… to have women’s voices heard,” she said. “We fought for an inquiry which we have now been excluded from.”

“We’re talking about ground zero where the violence happened, ground zero where the violence continues,” she added.

The NDP used the remainder of Question Period to ask follow-up questions on the same issue.

“These groups know more about the Downtown Eastside than the premier and her entire government will ever know,” charged public safety critic Mike Farnworth. “Why doesn’t she give the former Attorney General, Wally Oppal, what he’s been asking for: that funding be provided for these 13 groups so that we can get a report that really does accomplish something?

Penner defended the government’s decision, noting the province recently expanded the terms of reference to include a commission of study.

“There is not an unlimited amount of money that can be spent on taxpayers’ fees,” he said in the legislature. “Our government recognizes that, but nevertheless, we are providing the funds necessary so that the families of the murdered and missing women have legal representation at the inquiry.”

The inquiry is expected to begin informal study commission forums in northern B.C. in mid-June.

VIA The Georgia Straight

In her Surrey home, on the morning of November 24, 2009, Maria Catroppa, devoted mother of four was murdered by her husband. Before her death, the warning signs of domestic violence were present; however, her family did not know that their mother was in danger. Like many Surrey residents, the Catroppa family was unaware of the risk factors that increase the probability of serious bodily injury or death resulting from domestic violence.

Aligned with the primary objectives of the City of Surrey’s Crime Reduction Strategy, our project entitled The Honest Truth is a social media campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence. Its primary goal is twofold:

1. To  increase the popular understanding of domestic violence and high risk factors leading to serious bodily injury or death; and,
2. To increase victims’ knowledge of and access to critical resources in the City of Surrey.

Because social media is a primary tool and source of information, key activities of the campaign include the production of an online video public service announcement, an interactive website with links to Surrey resources and social media tools such as Facebook and YouTube. It is our hope that the video will be previewed at the Surrey Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (SCADA) conference on November 08, 2010 and the campaign will be launched on the anniversary of Maria Catroppa’s death.

The Honest Truth campaign honors the life of Maria Catroppa by helping other victims of domestic violence. The campaign will create a culture of support in the City of Surrey for victims of domestic violence and their loved ones. It  will also assist victims and their families to identify risk factors for domestic violence and access critical local resources to keep women and their children safe.

On Monday May 30 at 4:45 PM, join us in the City of Surrey Council Chamber or watch live online at http://www.surrey.ca/city-government/6993.aspx as Surrey Women’s Centre presents The Honest Truth to City Council.