Saint John ranks worst for family violence

A new report by Statistics Canada paints a dark picture of family violence in Saint John, but some people who help victims in the city say the situation may not be as bleak as the numbers suggest.

Saint John had the highest rate of police-reported family violence in Canada in 2010, according to the report released on Wednesday.

There were 420 victims for every 100,000 people, compared to the national average rate of 294 per 100,000, the report Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile shows.

New Brunswick ranked fifth among the provinces with a rate of 319. Saskatchewan had the highest rate at 644, while Ontario had the lowest at 196.

Elaine Northrup, executive director of the Hestia House womens shelter in Saint John, isnt surprised by the latest numbers.

Domestic violence is rampant in the city, she said.

"The stats show a woman is hit at least 30 times before she contacts police. We're going to hear from her first, before police hear from her, because she's looking for information," said Northrup.

"She may be thinking about coming to Hestia House. So a lot of times we hear from her before the final crisis, when she finally has the strength to pick up the phone and call the police."

Still, while Saint John may appear to be the worst, some people like Sheri Coburn contend the numbers could reflect an improvement in available options for people who experience domestic violence.

"We have police representatives, we have mental health representatives, we have community representatives, we have community members. Everyone's taken an active interest," said Coburn, chair of the Domestic Violence Community Action Group.

"And so I think that what you're seeing is the fact that people really are finding the support they need, which then makes them more comfortable and leads them to what we ultimately hope people do -- report domestic violence for what it is, which is a crime."

Deputy Police Chief Bruce Connell agrees. He believes the numbers are more a reflection of the great work officers have done in reporting domestic violence calls.