Calgary woman’s death emphasizes rise of domestic violence over pandemic: advocate

The tragic murder of a 23-year-old, whose death is believed to be a domestically-motivated homicide, in the northeast Calgary neighbourhood of Temple last week further proves the continued rise of violence women are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, an advocate says.

“There isn’t a common cycle of abuse, I think that’s an outdated understanding of domestic violence and it doesn’t, it’s not really reflected in the reality of what we see,” explained Stacy Ashton with the YW Calgary.

Staff Sgt. Glenn Andruschuk with the domestic unit agrees every situation is different.

“Last year in Calgary we went to 19,871 domestic violence calls and everyone has its own unique touch to it. When you go to these calls you’re always looking to support victims and also we look to help offenders,” he said.

On April 8, Calgary police found Jamie Scheible unconscious after she appeared to have been shot. She was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition where she later died.

On Tuesday, police said after further investigation, the victim and accused were found to have been in a recent relationship.

Ashton says during the pandemic, they saw rates of domestic violence increase while the number of people accessing supports decreased.

“Now that we’re opening back up, we’re going to see more individuals that are reaching out for support and it’s going to be difficult for shelters to keep up with demand with our limited spaces,” she explained. “We know that victims face many challenges when they’re seeking help so I think moving forward, for these women we need to have access to accessible and affordable legal support, we need to have access to affordable and sustainable housing.”

Carrie McManus, the Sagesse director of Innovation and Programs, tells CityNews that learning last week’s death was a domestic incident is extremely troubling and emphasizes what the Government of Alberta calls the “shadow” pandemic.

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“We know that probably about 70 per cent of people who experience domestic abuse and coercive control don’t call the police [or] don’t talk to service providers,” said McManus. “Even the numbers we do have based on police reports and police numbers that are going up and service requests that are going up – we know that they are actually a small drop in the bucket.”

Related Article: Alberta’s domestic violence offender tracking promise lagging

McManus says it is heartbreaking to see a tragic incident like what happened to Scheible, adding it underscores the need for family and friends to help get people out of these situations.

“We know that they’re talking to their friends, we know that they’re talking to their family members. And friends and families are informal supporters who have such an important role in being able to provide support, to be able to access information and to be able to support someone who is experiencing abuse or is at risk of experiencing abuse,” said McManus.

Related Article: ‘Lucky to be alive’: Calgary woman shares story of escape from domestic violence

Clare’s Law, started by the Alberta Government, is an Act that “gives people who feel at risk of domestic violence a way to get information about their partners so they can make informed choices about their safety.”

It is the “Right to Know,” “Right to Ask,” and the “Right to Privacy.”

Applications can be submitted online, but from the time one is sent, it can take up to eight weeks to return any information.

It can be a long process but Andrushuk says the province is working on it. With that said, police do have the ability, if they believe a person needs disclosure immediately, to let them know they are in danger.

A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for 37-year-old Calgary man Gerald Russell Frommelt in connection with the murder of Scheible.

Frommelt is described as being around 6’2″ tall, roughly 250 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Last week’s homicide is the 10th homicide in Calgary this year.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comments from police.