OTTAWA, ON — Cathay Wagantall, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville, today introduced her private Members’ bill, the Violence Against Pregnant Women Act, in the House of Commons.

Today, MP Wagantall introduced Bill C-311, which adds two new aggravating factors to the Criminal Code of Canada. The crimes of knowingly assaulting a pregnant woman and causing physical or emotional harm to a pregnant woman will be considered by judges for their severity during the sentencing process.

“Conservatives are addressing the real threat of violence against women in Canada who have been left behind after 8 years of Trudeau’s soft-on-crime policies,” said MP Wagantall. “Trudeau’s crime wave has had serious impacts on women. Since Trudeau became Prime Minister, violent crime has increased by 32% and gang killings have gone up by 92%. Intimate partner violence has steadily increased each year for the past 7 years and 8 in 10 victims of that crime are women.”

The Violence Against Pregnant Women Act follows more than eighty cases in recent Canadian history of women who have been killed by men who knew they were pregnant.

“Women are at a greater risk of intimate partner violence when pregnant, but the consequences their attackers currently face do not reflect the crimes committed,” said Wagantall. “Sentences issued by our courts should match the crime. Conservatives are introducing this bill to ensure that criminals who attack or kill a pregnant woman can be sentenced appropriately by our courts.”