Quebec man charged with 'honour based violence' after assaulting daughter for removing hijab
Police have praised the girl for speaking up and hope that it will encourage other victims of honour based violence to come forward.
A Quebec man has been charged with "honour-based violence" after he allegedly assaulted his teenage daughter after discovering she had been removing her hijab in public.
The man had reportedly subjected his daughter to repeated assaults over a period of a year, with the violence escalating when he learnt that she had not been wearing the traditional Islamic dress while away from the family home.
Gatineau police said Friday the girl had reported the assaults- which reportedly also involved weapons - resulting in her father's arrest on Wednesday (25 October) .
"It took a lot of courage for this young girl to come up to police and to inform us of what was happening," Sgt. Jean-Paul Lemay said.
The 35-year-old Gatineau resident appeared in court Thursday on charges of assault, assault with a weapon and uttering threats.
Police have not released the man's name to protect the alleged victim's identity.
Lemay said the force hopes the girl's bravery will prompt other alleged victims of violence to come forward.
According to The Star, he said police hope to send a message to others in similar situations to assure them resources exist to help them.
"Victims of these types of crimes are often isolated and it can be very difficult to come forward," Lemay said. "The ones who do, we want them to know we will listen to them, but they will also be supported during the (legal) process."
The teen has been removed from the family home and is in the care of youth protection.
