05-04 Domestic Violence - Definitions

Question 1

Bona Fide Reasons means:

Answer 1

• a victim or witness who may possibly require or may seek admission into the Provincial Witness Protection Program;
• a Crown Attorney is requesting information for disclosure purposes;
• the information is necessary to prove essential elements of an offence, or;
• investigations where the circumstances make it clear that it is essential to public or officer safety and security to ascertain the immigration status of a victim or witness.

Question 2

Child in Need of Protection means:

Answer 2

a child that can be apprehended as being in need of protection as defined in s.125 (1) of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act.

Question 3

Criteria Offence – Ontario Major Case Management means the following major cases:

Answer 3

• homicides as defined in subsection 222(4), Criminal Code, and attempts;
• sexual assaults, and all attempts (for the purpose of this standard, is deemed to include sexual interference, sexual exploitation and invitation to sexual touching);
• trafficking in persons as defined in section 279.01, 279.011 or 279.04, Criminal Code, and attempts as defined in section 24(1) Criminal Code;
• occurrences involving non-familial abductions and attempts;
• missing person occurrences, as outlined in the Ontario Major Case Management Manual;
• occurrences suspected to be homicide involving found human remains;
• criminal harassment cases in which the offender is not known to the victim; and,
• any other types of cases designated as a major case pursuant to this Ontario Major Case Management Manual.

Question 4

Domestic Incident means:

Answer 4

any incident between persons involved in an intimate relationship where, although no criminal offence has occurred, police have been called to the scene.

Question 5

Domestic Occurrence means:

Answer 5

an occurrence report created to detail criminal behaviour and/or a breach of any statute related to a domestic situation and includes an arrest report. (excludes a Domestic Incident Report).

Question 6

Domestic Violence means:

Answer 6

any physical, sexual or psychological harm caused, or attempted, between persons involved in an intimate relationship including:

• assault;
• murder;
• sexual assault;
• threatening;
• harassment;
• intimidation;
• unlawful interference with personal liberty;
• any other criminal offence;
• offences under other statutes, such as the Family Law Act, Children’s Law Reform Act, etc.;

 but does not include child abuse investigations.

Question 7

Domestic Violence Investigator (DVI) means:

Answer 7

an investigator qualified in the investigations of domestic violence as prescribed in Police Services Act, O.Reg. 3/99, Adequacy & Effectiveness of Police Services and the Policing Standards Manual.

Question 8

Dominant Aggressor means:

Answer 8

the individual who has been the principal abuser, and not necessarily the person who initiated the violence that resulted in the attendance of police.

Question 9

Firearms Interest Police (FIP) means:

Answer 9

a database within the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) system that contains information from local police agencies, which could affect an individual’s eligibility to be issued or to continue to hold a firearms licence. Section 5 of the Firearms Act indicates the types of offences/incidents which justify a FIP.

Question 10

Victim means:

Answer 10

• a person to whom harm was done or who suffered physical or emotional loss as a result of the commission of the offence; and
• where the person described in paragraph (a) is dead, ill or otherwise incapable of making a statement referred to in subsection (1), includes the spouse or common-law partner or any relative of that person, anyone who has in law or fact the custody of that person or is responsible for the care or support of that person or any dependant of that person.

[Source: Criminal Code, 722(4)]

Question 11

Victim Quick Response Program means:

Answer 11

a program administered by Victim Services Toronto that provides quick financial assistance to victims of homicide, attempted murder, serious physical assault, domestic violence, sexual assault and hate crime in the immediate aftermath of a crime.

Question 12

Victim/Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) means:

Answer 12

the program operated by the (Ontario) Ministry of the Attorney General. Services are provided on a priority basis to the most vulnerable victims and witnesses of violent crime; such as domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, homicide and hate crime. Families of traffic fatality victims are also eligible. Services begin once police have laid charges and continue until the court case is concluded.