What happens if I call the police?
If you do not have immigration status, there may be risks if you call the police. See Will I be forced to leave Canada if I leave my partner?
If you call 911, a police car is sent to your home. When the police arrive, let them in. Even if you do not agree or your partner tries to stop them from coming in, the police can enter your home if:
- they have reasonable grounds to believe that a crime is happening, or is about to happen, or
- you or someone else called 911 and the police need to enter your home to properly investigate the call.
You can decide not to talk to the police even if you called 911.
If you decide to talk to the police, you can tell them:
- you want to talk to them privately
- exactly what happened, and whether you were assaulted, threatened, or suffered any other kind of abuse
- if the abuse has happened before
- if any weapons were used and whether there are other weapons in your home
- if there are children or others who need help
- if anybody saw or heard the incident or assault
- if you feel unsafe
Once you give the police your statement, you cannot take it back. But you can add more to your police statement later if you forgot something. And you can change it if you got something wrong.
It is not up to you to decide what happens next. The police decide this. They may decide to:
- charge your partner with a crime
- charge you with a crime, if they believe you are the dominant aggressor
- charge you both with a crime, if they do not know who the dominant aggressor is
- not charge anyone
- contact the Children’s Aid Society if they think your child has been harmed or is at risk of harm
You can ask the police:
- to take pictures of your injuries
- to help you leave, or to take you to a shelter
- to give you their names and badge numbers
- to refer you to Victim Crisis Assistance Ontario, for support and help to deal with your safety concerns, and for information about the Victim Quick Response Program+. See Compensation for victims of crime and Are there other options that protect me?
- for the information in the occurrence report, including the occurrence or incident number
Parts 4 and 5 have more information about the criminal process.
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