She felt like 'a prisoner' of her partner's domestic abuse — and a judge agreedCanadian sportscaster Jonah Keri was sentenced to 21 months in March, for repeated assaults against his ex-wife Amy Kaufman. Anna Maria Tremonti spoke with Kaufman about the judge's ruling and why Kaufman says it offers hope for other survivors.

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Amy Kaufman says 21-month sentence for Jonah Keri offers hope for other survivors

CBC Radio(The National/CBC)The Current19:12Jonah Keri’s conviction offers hope for other survivors of intimate partner violence, says his ex-wife Amy Kaufman

WARNING: This story contains graphic details of intimate partner violence.

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When Amy Kaufman reported her now ex-husband Jonah Keri to police for assaulting her, she was able to provide threatening messages, audio and even video recordings as evidence.

But she was still "extremely surprised" to see him sentenced last month to 21 months in jail.

"I was expecting a much lighter sentence, or no sentence at all," Kaufman told Anna Maria Tremonti on CBC Radio's The Current. "I think it gives hope to other survivors who want to leave, that there is in fact a point in leaving and that once in a while the system can work."

Kaufman reached out to Tremonti after the CBC journalist released a podcast in February called Welcome to Paradise, which details an abusive marriage in her own past.

The ruling has been hailed for recognizing patterns of coercive control within intimate partner violence, something judges in Canada are not mandated to take training on.

WATCH | 'It's very similar to torture,' says Amy Kaufman, recalling her ordeal:

'It's very similar to torture:' victim recalls enduring coercive control

8 days agoDuration 9:22WARNING: This video contains disturbing details | A Montreal woman shares her story as a survivor of intimate partner violence, where she felt trapped by acts of coercive control — a pattern of abusive behaviour used to control victims.(Submitted by Jennifer Koshan)

She said that Dalmau's ruling recognized the many barriers to reporting IPV, includingthreats from the violent partner. Women may also fear economic consequences, or implications for child custody and protection, as well as worrying they simply won't be believed. These systemic issues can be exacerbated for marginalized women, Koshan said.

She said the sentencing was also significant because it acknowledged the elements of what is known as coercive control — namely, tactics designed to trap someone in an abusive relationship.

"I think that's significant because we don't yet have an offence of coercive control in Canadian law," she said.

• CBC InvestigatesCoercive control, the silent partner of domestic violence, instils fear, helplessness in victims

A private member's bill to criminalize coercive control was introduced by New Democrat MP Randall Garrison in November, but has not yet reached second reading. Garrison previously suggested the change in October 2020. The bill was examined by the House of Commons standing committee on justice and human rights, but died when the federal election was called.

WATCH | Anna Maria Tremonti learned about coercive control years after her own abusive marriage:

Why coercive control is a warning sign for violence in relationships

2 months agoDuration 8:49When Anna Maria Tremonti was in an abusive marriage at age 23, she hadn't heard of coercive control. It was a concept that hadn’t been developed yet. Through researching her podcast Welcome to Paradise, the former longtime host of The Current realized she now had a name for what she’d gone through.Coercive control, the silent partner of domestic violence, instils fear, helplessness in victims

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