A pair of Saskatoon women say they are struggling to find justice, with their domestic abuse cases dragging on and court hearings adjourned more than a dozen times.
One of the women says her former spouse's threats and intimidation robbed her of her sense of safety and freedom.
"I had to travel often for work and it was amazing because I was able to be myself at that time and then whenever I needed to come back home, I knew it was going back to those patterns. I didn't know how damaging they were until I actually got out," she said.
CTV News is concealing the woman's identity because she fears potential repercussions for speaking out.
The woman says her case has stretched on for more than four years. She says her ex-partner faces charges related to assault, criminal harassment, cyberbullying and extortion.
“That’s just a fraction of what police believed I had an overwhelming amount of evidence of,” she said.
The woman says shared custody of a child has complicated the situation more.
“Part of my healing journey is that you have to reduce contact as much as you can" she said.
“This person, through my child, they will attempt to control me,” she said.
The woman told CTV News she worries her child's safety is being put at risk by the prolonged court process..
"I’m sharing my story and hoping that it empowers others to take control of their lives," the woman said.
Another Saskatoon woman CTV News spoke with says her case has been winding its way through the legal system for more than three years, with 19 adjournments and little to show for the time it's taking.
"It’s so mentally draining and it’s so frustrating because they don’t care to see the shape of the person, the actual victim,” the woman said.
CTV News has also agreed to conceal her identity.
She says her ex-husband physically and mentally abused her.
“I would get slammed into a wall or pushed into the fridge or smashed over the head with a 10-pound bag of carrots,” she said.
The woman says her former spouse has been charged with assault with a weapon and a breach of a no-contact order.
"Going through this is really hard,” she said.
Still, she says it is better than the alternative of remaining in a dangerous domestic situation.
“Don’t stop, even if you have five bucks in your account, just go. There’s so many better opportunities than feeling stuck,” she said.
Charmaine Panko, a family law lawyer with Panko Collaborative Law says she sees adjournments take a toll on clients.
“I think from the client's experience that the lack of certainty around how things are going to turn out and how they'll get resolved, really compounds their stress, and it's hard for them to be able to move forward," Panko said.
Amanda Lofstrom, a social worker with the Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit and Sexual Assault Centre says it’s something she sees often.
“We’ve seen ... since COVID, a real increase in the length of time it takes to get through the judicial process. It can take anywhere from two-and-a-half up to five or six years,” Lofstrom said.
In a statement emailed to CTV News, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice said the provincial court system tries its best to avoid delays, but each case is unique.
“The average time to resolution in the Saskatchewan Provincial Court is approximately seven to nine months, which is comparable to other provinces,” the statement said.
“Saskatchewan is investing $27.5 million in interpersonal violence programs and supports in 2023-24,” the ministry statement said.
