Mother of Chilliwack Murder Victim Says System to Protect Abused Women Is 'Not Working'

WARNING: This article contains disturbing details and treatment of violence against women that may be upsetting and triggering for some readers. there is. Discretion is advised.

It was her FaceTime call that changed her life.

On July 21, 2022, Jana Jorgenson was contacted by her RCMP in Chilliwack, British Columbia. She wanted to know if she knew anyone in the area who would take care of her two grandchildren. She was told that her daughter,Amber Curry, her mother, was away, neither Curry's brother Aaron nor her best friend Mimi Cates.

"My heart was beating outside my body. I knew I had to catch the ferry soon," Jorgenson told Global News from Parksville, where she lives. Told.

Jorgenson later learned that Culley, 43, and his girlfriend, Kates, 49, were murdered in their home and Aaron survived with injuries. Callie and Cates' abusive ex-partner, Eric Shestaro, was the killer.

According to RCMP, Shestaro was bridal four days after he was found near Falls, apparently self-inflicted. He died from a gunshot wound.

READ MORE: Concerns about domestic violence are growing in BC.

The last few weeks as a husband accused of his wife's death have been "unreal," Jorgenson said. "Thousands" of people support her family, express her love for Callie, and share her disturbing experiences and interactions with Shestarro over the painful years.

"I don't think we can understand or comprehend that something so evil, targeted and predatory could have happened to my beautiful daughter.

"Did we think he had the ability to kill? Definitely not, but we knew he wasn't a very nice guy."

According to Jorgenson, Curry had obtained a restraining order. Against Shestaro. He had previously been arrested and charged with issuing threats.

She and Cates had taken refuge together to keep each other safe.

"Amber actually saved Mimi from a dangerous situation she was in with another man who was controlling her," Jorgenson explained.

"She just wanted to help her...that was how she did it."

Read More: COVID-19: BC Report details disturbing 'shadow pandemic' of intimate partner violence

Jorgenson is now using her platform to report abuse raising awareness of the need to improve systems in place to protect women in romantic relationships. "It's not working," she said.

"It's really important to me to start doing something big because a restraining order is nothing," she explained. "What the person is going to do has nothing to do with their abilities."

Jorgenson attaches some sort of tracking device to those under restraining orders to ensure that the subject said he would like to see the police warn him if he gets too close to a prohibited area. She also suggested better oversight and police protection for those under orders.

After all, she told Global News.

"He walked into the house and just walked in...all dressed in black and wearing toques. I put on my hood, put on my sunglasses and pointed the gun at the muzzle of my son's head," she explained.

"If (the police) knew he was in the area on a restraining order, something must have happened in the area. Ghost cars around her house."

The B.C. government websitenow urges anyone whobecomes aware that another person has violated the terms of a protection order to immediately call the police. ing.

READ MORE: COVID-19: BC report details disturbing 'shadow pandemic' of intimate partner violence

According to Hilla Kerner, a frontline worker for Vancouver rape relief and women's shelters, British Columbia suffers from a current lack of data on women's murder. However, thedata collected during the COVID-19 pandemic show that violence against women is on the rise.

"(Femicide) targets women because they are women, and there are very high levels of misogyny and misogyny and misogyny expression," she explained. .

"We see it in wife murder cases and indigenous women who are missing or murdered. It's a phenomenon. These are not just individual cases." 131}

According to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, 88 women and girls were murdered in Canada in the first six months of 2022,of whom 15 were killed BC}

Kerner , Police, BC coroner's office, said whenever a woman was murdered by a man, it must proactively release information containing such circumstances. Such as whether she was financially dependent on the man, whether her children were involved, or whether previous abuse had been noted.

Such details are B. C. “Learn important lessons” and put an end to femicide, she said.

"I believe these murders could have been prevented," Kerner said, referring to Curry and Cates.

“The fact that a man was arrested and charged means he was in custody of the system. Violent men should not be released (on bail) to follow them up. Threat."

Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Criminal Code outlines bail rules, and states that anyone charged has the right to be released from custody unless the King can justify continued custody according to law.

“The position taken by a Supreme Court lawyer on bail, including whether to seek the detention of the defendant, takes careful account of the specific circumstances of the case, the background of the defendant, and the risk to bail. Public" and read the BC Prosecution Service information sheet on this topic.

Kerner said that when it comes to "violent men," especially those who have committed  crimes in the past, the concept of innocence needs further scrutiny until proven otherwise. .

"We are generally not against this idea. Of course, we are all obsessed with having a fair and just criminal justice system." she explained. we cannot take risks.

"We can't afford a few — not the majority — dangerous men track down and kill the women who call them."

Global News has contacted the Minister of Public Safety and the Attorney General for comment on this matter and will update when we receive a response.

Kerner said the Curry and Cates murders "are a terrifying warning to other victims that they cannot trust the system to keep them safe."

"Women should know that when they report violent men, they are taken very seriously, including taking protective measures," she said.

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Meanwhile, Jorgenson is her grandson, her 12-year-old Dante and continues to raise funds for her 9-year-old Magnus, raising awareness in her daughter's honor.

Callie was "a being of light and laughter and joy" and she "was always helping the underdog," she said. She loved music, dancing, cooking, and the beach.

"They are incredibly small humans," she said of her grandchildren. "Amber filled them with so much love and confidence.

"We will continue to pour our love into them, give them many opportunities to give them the life they deserve, and let Amber fill them with love. I hope that I can continue to live this beautiful life that I have created for you.”

Women and Gender Diverse People Experiencing Violence You can access support from Battered Women Support Services by calling the toll-free 24/7 Crisis Line at -1868.

Legal and mental health resources for adults and children experiencing violence can be found on thePublic Health Agency of Canada website. can find.