Victims' ombudsperson wants 'femicide' made a stand-alone Criminal Code offence

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The federal government should consider adding femicide — murder inspired by misogyny — to the Criminal Code and implementing legal measures to combat residential school denialism, says the federal ombudsperson for victims of crime.

Those recommendations and others are featured in a new report from the ombudsperson's office — Strengthening Access to Justice for Victims of Hate Crime in Canada — which was published Tuesday.

"Canada has to protect its people from violence that targets who we are. This report is a call to action," Ombudsperson Benjamin Roebuck said Tuesday.

"Everyone in Canada deserves to be safe and have access to justice no matter who they love, how they look, where they come from, the language they speak or the faith they follow."