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In 2007, Canadian police services recorded nearly 4,600 incidents of forcible confinement, accounting for just over 1% of all violent crimes.
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Forcible confinement is one of the few violent crimes to be rising in Canada. The rate in 2007 was double what it was a decade ago and seven times higher than 20 years ago.
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Among the provinces, Manitoba and Quebec reported the highest rates of forcible confinement while Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick reported the lowest. Quebec's relatively high rate of forcible confinement differs from the rates of most other violent crimes in the province which tend to fall below the Canadian average.
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Some of the increase in forcible confinement may be related to police charging practices. This offence is somewhat unique in that about three-quarters of incidents involved other offences such as assault, uttering threats, sexual assault and robbery. In comparison, about one-quarter of all other violent offences occurred in conjunction with other offences.
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There are three main scenarios involving forcible confinement. The first, and most common, is associated with violence against spouses or other intimate partners. The second involves disputes between friends or acquaintances while the third involves robbery or break and enter, usually committed by a stranger.
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Persons charged with forcible confinement were less likely than those charged with other violent offences to be convicted in court. However, when convicted, sentences were more severe than for those convicted of other violent crimes.
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