Alberta Mla Opens Up About Sister’s Domestic Violence Murder And What Needs To Change

Melanie Nicolaides was nan youngest of 3 children and, by each accounts, grew up successful a loving, supportive Greek family that divided their clip betwixt Canada and their homeland of Cyprus successful nan Mediterranean.

The mother of 3 was brutally stabbed to decease conscionable nether 2 years agone by her estranged hubby during a murder-suicide successful Calgary.

“She became nan unfortunate of home violence,” said her brother, Demetrios Nicolaides, nan MLA for Calgary–Bow and Alberta’s acquisition minister.

Nicolaides joined Global Edmonton’s greeting news connected Wednesday to talk astir nan profoundly individual rumor of home partner violence.

“She did everything right, you know, she did everything that was asked of her: sought retired an emergency protection order, followed each nan ineligible processes.”

But her ex collapsed his bail conditions and ignored nan emergency protection bid respective times, Nicolaides said.

Melanie was 40 years aged erstwhile she was killed connected Jan. 16, 2024.

“Unfortunately, it ended pinch nan nonaccomplishment of her life.

Sadly, it’s an all-too-common occurrence. The statistic are shocking and disheartening: each 48 hours, a female aliases woman is violently killed successful Canada.

Gender-based unit is an rumor that tin impact immoderate family — it doesn’t discriminate. The signs aren’t ever visible either. Nicolaides said his sister was a proud woman, not 1 to inquire for thief aliases uncover really difficult her business was.

“Didn’t spot large informing signs successful position of, you know, behaviour betwixt nan 2 of them. You knew things were challenging, and that manifested arsenic they were seeking a divorce.

In reflecting, Nicolaides said moreover if he had seen informing signs, his sister, wanting to uphold a beardown image and not look to beryllium a victim, would apt person dismissed aliases downplayed them.

“We person to return those informing signs incredibly seriously. If anyone knows personification that’s successful a akin type of situation, I deliberation it’s very important that nan remainder of nan family and nan broader organization is involved, is location to thief and support successful immoderate measurement that they can.”

Nicolaides said acold excessively often, nan attraction is connected what nan unfortunate needs to do to prevention themselves, but instead, nan speech needs to displacement to acold earlier.

“A batch of times, you know, women are being asked to do more, right? To move out, to find a different spot to live, to alteration jobs, to do each of these things otherwise — which doesn’t really thief nan situation,” Nicolaides said.

“But I do deliberation we request to attraction much connected nan men and nan boys successful these circumstances and talking to them from a young age, and making judge that we person a amended knowing arsenic good successful nine astir what nan hallmarks of a patient narration are.”

Nicolaides noted he’s heard galore stories of abusers ignoring nan emergency protection orders intended to support nan unfortunate safe.

“I’ve heard much circumstances wherever individuals will break them and there’s nary existent consequences associated pinch them.”

The federal authorities is moving to reside that by making changes to Canada’s Criminal Code to dainty killings driven by control, hate, intersexual unit aliases exploitation arsenic first-degree murder.

The projected rule is called nan ‘Protecting Victims Act,’ and among nan changes it would tackle is femicide — execution motivated by dislike against women, Justice Minister Sean Fraser said connected Tuesday.

“We specifically will beryllium creating a constructive first-degree execution complaint wherever definite factors are coming erstwhile a execution takes place, including a execution that is motivated by hate, including execution that takes spot during nan committee of a intersexual offence, and including execution that follows a shape of coercive and controlling behaviour,” he said.

For much connected Nicolaides’ communicative and his family’s scheme to hike Mount Kilimanjaro successful Melanie’s honour to raise consciousness and costs for home unit prevention successful Alberta, watch nan video above.

For 22 years, Global Edmonton has been raising consciousness — and much-needed costs — for those fleeing domestic violence done our Give Me Shelter campaign. This question and reply is intends to thief raise consciousness of nan issues, really to support survivors and what needs to change.