Statistics Canada reports nearly 88,000 victims of family violence in 2013

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says there were nearly 88,000 victims of family violence in Canada in 2013 — making up more than one-quarter of all violent crimes reported to police.

That’s around the same level as 2011, when family violence accounted for 26 per cent of all police-reported violent crime.

The agency says almost half the victims suffered family violence at the hands of a current or former spouse.

The accused person was a parent in 17 per cent of cases, and an extended family member — such as an in-law, uncle or grandparent — in 14 per cent of cases.

Sibling violence made up 11 per cent of cases, while 10 per cent of the time the accused person was the victim’s own child.

Statistics Canada says that almost 7 in 10 family violence victims were female in 2013.

The agency says police-reported family violence rates were highest in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and lowest in Ontario and Prince Edward Island.