Group calls Waterford woman’s death ‘femicide’

The death of a 90-year-old Waterford woman is being denounced as a femicide by Haldimand and Norfolk’s Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee.

Marlene Wilson was found dead in her Mechanic Street home on the morning of Feb. 12. Her grandson, Jordaine Anthony Lewis Wilson, 34, of Norfolk, has been charged with first-degree murder in Wilson’s death.

The accused was remanded in jail after a first appearance in a regional court session in Hamilton. His matter was heard again on Tuesday and Wilson was remanded in custody until being seen again on March 21.

The allegations against Wilson have not been proven. A possible motive has not been provided.

Femicide, most broadly defined, means the gender-based killing of women and girls and the most extreme form of violence toward them, said a release from Amber Wardell, coordinator of the Haldimand and Norfolk Justice for Women Review Team, Haldimand and Norfolk’s Violence Against Women coordinating committee.

Femicide is an alternative to the gender-neutral term homicide to highlight the killing of women primarily for the reason of being women.

“Last year in Ontario, 52 femicides were confirmed in just 52 weeks on the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses’ (OAITH) femicide list,” said the release. “Fifty-two mothers, grandmothers, aunties and daughters representing immeasurable loss and grief across families and communities.”

“The Haldimand and Norfolk Justice for Women Review Team extends our condolences to Marlene’s family and friends.”

Femicides against older women in Ontario are on the rise. On the most recent list published by OAITH, the youngest victim was eight years old and the oldest 88, with victims over the age of 55 representing 21 per cent of all victims, said the group.

Although often associated only with past and current intimate partners, many femicides are perpetrated within other types of relationships, such as family members or others known to them, said the release.

“As femicide rates continue to rise across Ontario, we must take action.”

Michael Puskas, the lawyer representing Jordaine Wilson, said Tuesday that while Marlene Wilson’s death may fit the definition of femicide, all murders are bad.

“I’m not going to rank them.”

Puskas said whether or not Wilson eventually gets bail will depend on the strength of the case against him, his plan for release and supervision, and what “informed members” of society would think of that release.

Puskas said he currently has only the “bare bones of disclosure” in the case. It’s too early to indicate how his client would plead.

Meanwhile, a high-profile coroner’s inquest into the 2015 murders of three women in Renfrew County released 86 recommendations aimed at preventing and eradicating violence against women.

One of the recommendations was to include the term femicide in the Criminal Code of Canada, and another was to have it listed as a cause of death on coroner’s reports.

The moves, say advocates, could push Canada’s justice system to take gender-based violence more seriously and governments to dedicate more resources to preventing it. Criminalizing femicide could also mean stricter parole eligibility conditions for offenders.

Most murders are preventable, said the release from the Violence Against Women, and the warning signs are there. Perpetrators often have a history of “red flags,” including harassment and stalking, and having a history of sexual assault or physical violence.

“Professionals, co-workers, neighbours, friends and family members can learn to recognize the warning signs and how to respond safely and supportively.”

Connect with Haldimand and Norfolk Women’s Services at hnws.on.ca or call the 24-hour crisis/support line at 1-800-265-8076.

With files from Susan Gamble