Part 4: The criminal process
For most crimes in Ontario, the police do not have to charge the person who committed the crime. Instead, the police can give the person a warning and then let them go.
Family violence or partner abuse is different. If the police believe that your partner abused you, the police must charge your partner with a crime. The police do not have a choice. They must charge your partner even if you do not want them to.
Important: If you fear for your safety, call 911.
- How do the police decide who to charge?
- What can the police charge my partner with?
- What if the police do not charge my partner?
- What if the police charge and arrest my partner?
- What happens if my partner is released?
- What happens if my partner breaks a condition?
- When will my partner’s criminal case end?
- Which court will hear the case?
- Will someone help me if my partner is charged?
- What if the police arrest or charge me?