Shelters for Manitobans fleeing family violence are emptier than normal — and one expert says it’s due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Deena Brock with the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters (MAWS) told 680 CJOB shelters are seeing fewer people going through their doors — and that’s not necessarily a good thing.
The concern, she said, is that people experiencing domestic violence may be weighing the risks of staying versus leaving and potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19, or may be unable to leave. “I think people are still trying to figure out how to get out,” she said. “If you’re stuck in a house or an apartment under constant surveillance by an abuser, it’s very hard to sneak out.” Brock said with the province’s ongoing