A domestic assault occurs in a relationship between two or more people. They may be married, dating, living common law or have a family relationship. Domestic assaults can include:
threatening words
a gesture or an action meant to intimidate
a physical assault on another person
implying physical harm or a threat against another person
According to information from Statistics Canada, domestic abuse – more recently renamed intimate partner violence – ranges from emotional abuse to repeated physical or sexual assaults and even homicide. While there is no charge in the Criminal Code called domestic assault, some of the common charges laid after police are called to a residence include aggravated assault, assault causing bodily harm, sexual assault, uttering threats, theft or mischief to property.