National Institute on Ageing Submission to JUST for its Study of Bill C-16

Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, proposes a standalone coercive control offence within intimate partner relationships. Coercive control is a pattern of gradual, escalating abuse that creates fear, anxiety, and dependency, eventually undermining an individual’s sense of autonomy and personhood.

While this is an important step forward, in its written submission on Bill C-16, the NIA recommends that the bill be amended to better reflect the realities of older adults by also including non-intimate partners. In most cases of elder abuse, the abuser is an adult child or informal caregiver. The NIA’s submission highlights:

• The importance of creating a dedicated offence for coercive control in Canada.
• The prevalence of elder abuse and breadth of perpetrators.
• Constitutional and human rights concerns.
• Comparative international approaches for coercive control.

Along with members of the Elder Justice Coalition, NIA calls upon government to close the gaps in Bill C-16 to better protect older adults. The proposed amendments will ensure equal protection to all Canadians, including older adults who experience coercive control outside of intimate partner relationships.