Eastern Ontario victim services test new app for intimate partner violence survivors

A first-of-its kind safety tool for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) is being piloted by victim services agencies in eastern Ontario.

The technology features an app and case management software to help service organizations and clients to share secure information about incidents of IPV.

Among the organizations testing the technology is non-profit Victim Services Peterborough Northumberland. The organization says 80 per cent of its workload involves cases of intimate partner violence.

“Things have become more complex over time, so requiring more case management,” said executive director Emily Poulin.

“Crimes have become more violent and people are in need of more support.”

The app, called “Safe with Milli,” was designed by Australian company Genvis  to help people who experience intimate partner violence to stay safe and access supports.

“It has incident logging of evidence,” explains Poulin. “It has safety planning features, real-time safety features. You can dial 911 directly from the app. You can send your location.”

The other half of the pilot — case-management software  — is currently in development with the Peterborough area agency’s help and being tested by victim services in Kingston and Renfrew County.

“There’s been no meaningful way for us to collect data across the province, just because nobody’s on the same database,” said Poulin.

Two recent arrests in Peterborough were deemed incidents of intimate partner violence — a shooting on Saturday that resulted in two attempted murder charges for a man, and a stabbing on July 4 outside a business led to assault charges for a woman.

2:32 Peterborough police say reported gunshots linked to intimate partner violence incident

Sarah Bass, manager at the Peterborough Domestic Abuse Network, says the recent cases are a small part of a bigger picture.

In November 2023, the City of Peterborough approved a motion to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic, joining other municipalities across Ontario.

“The thing is, it’s happening behind closed doors. It’s happening all the time,” said Bass. “It’s happening across socio-economic conditions.”

Ontario Provincial Police say the vast majority of intimate partner violence incidents aren’t reported to police.

Data last fall provided by the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre and YWCA Peterborough Haliburton reported that in 2022, only six per cent of area survivors of sexual assault reported the incident to police. One in five people experiencing gender-based violence said they called police.

“Often when we’re talking to a victim, there’s a lot of emotions that are going on with them,” said Peterborough County OPP Const. Dan Gay. “They’re feeling ashamed that they’re having to reach out to police.”

Poulin notes the new app can operate both online and offline, enabling victims to get help on their terms, including in more rural areas.

“The more service providers that are on board and using it, the more connectivity we all have,” she said. “The more those silos break down.”

The Milli app is expected to be available to victim services and other agencies across Eastern Ontario in September.

— with files from Germain Ma/Global News Peterborough

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