Federal changes aim to toughen intimate partner violence laws
New rules mandate strict bail scrutiny for strangulation cases and restrict conditional sentences like house arrest for sexual assault convictions.
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Changes to the criminal code coming into effect next month will mandate courts to closely scrutinize intimate partner violence allegations at bail hearings and restrict conditional sentences such as house arrest for sexual assault convictions.
Under the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, pre-trial detention will become the default for cases involving choking and strangulation. Being strangled even once by an intimate partner increases the risk of being killed by that abuser by 750 per cent, according to the York Region Centre for Community Safety.
Strangulation-related charges in intimate partner violence cases have been rising sharply. Peel police laid 553 strangulation-related charges in 2024, increasing by 9 per cent to 604 in 2025. So far in 2026, 248 strangulation charges have been laid.
Peel police said they have implemented a comprehensive approach to addressing strangulation, calling it a "serious and historically underreported form of intimate partner violence." The approach has improved the ability to identify, investigate, and support victims.
"These efforts have increased awareness among frontline responders and community partners, leading to better detection and reporting of offences," Peel police said. "As a result, the rise in strangulation-related charges reflects improved recognition and enforcement rather than solely an increase in incidents."