Some 600 people sign open letter calling for new Quebec law to prevent femicides

After a ninth suspected femicide was reported last week, calls are growing to do more and pass a law aimed at preventing intimate partner violence.

Hundreds of people have joined a Quebec politician in calling for stronger measures to prevent femicides.

Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal and some 600 other signatories asked the premier in an open letter for a new law that would allow women to find out if their partner has a history of violence.

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The letter to Christine Fréchette published today in La Presse says that with the law, women would be better able to evaluate their level of risk and make informed decisions.

The signatories want the premier to reconvene the legislature, which is currently prorogued until May 5.

They say there have been nine women killed so far this year in suspected cases of domestic violence -- a number equal to all of 2025.

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The signatories are also asking Fréchette to increase funding for shelters for women who are victims of domestic violence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2026.