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→If you have suffered family violence, call the police
After the police have conducted their investigation, the lead officer sends the lawyer for the government, ''crown counsel'', a document called a Report to Crown Counsel which, among other things, describes the witnesses' statements and the officer's recommendation as to whether charges ought to be laid or not. Crown counsel then decides whether there is enough evidence to lay charges. If the crown counsel reviewing the police file thinks there is there is enough evidence, the crown counsel will approve the charges and the matter will be set for a hearing before a judge.
===If you have suffered family violence, call Call the police===
If you have suffered family violence, call the police; nothing will happen until you do. If there is evidence of abuse, the police can arrest the person who has hurt you your partner and may take him or her into <span class="noglossary">custody</span>. To find out more about what the police can do, you may wish to read [http://www.lss.bc.ca/publications/pub.php?pub=379 Getting Help from the Police or RCMP] and[http://resources.lss.bc.ca/pdfs/pubs/Surviving-Relationship-Violence-and-Abuse-eng.pdf Surviving Relationship Violence and Abuse]. If your partner is taken into <span class="noglossary">custody</span>, he or she will stay there until a judge is able to speak to him or her. Most of the time, your partner will be released from <span class="noglossary">custody</span> until the trial date following the <span class="noglossary">brief</span> hearing, and the <span class="noglossary">release</span> will be on specific terms and conditions set out in a document called a ''Recognizance'' or an ''Undertaking''.
*not go to your home, school or workplace,
*fulfill any other condition that may be necessary for the safety of you and your children.
Finally, ask that the police and crown counsel keep you up to speed on the progress of the criminal case; you should also ask for a copy of your statement and the recognizance the person who has hurt you that your partner is released on.
====Breaching the recognizance====
If the person who has hurt you your partner doesn't follow the terms of his or her recognizance, call the police. They won't be aware that there's a further problem unless you let them know.
====Call VictimLink====
Sometimes calling the police isn't enough. Sometimes you may need counselling to help you cope with the violence, and, in particularly bad situations, you may need a safe place to stay with your children until the criminal proceeding can be dealt with.
Call VictimLink BC at 1-800-563-0808 for assistance. VictimLink BC is a province-wide telephone help line for victims of family violence, and all other crimes. At VictimLink BC a victim support worker can provide information and referrals to help you deal with the effects of family violence, and arrange for crisis support counselling. VictimLink BC is available free to people across BC and Yukon 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You may feel that you need to leave the family home, or you may want to develop a safety plan in case your spouse partner becomes violent again. A victim support worker can help you develop a safety plan or find a place to stay. Again, call VictimLink BC and ask to speak with a victim support worker.
====Getting back together====
You must speak to crown counsel if you want to get back together with the person who has hurt youyour partner, or if you want to <span class="noglossary">contact</span> him or her, or stop the criminal process. You cannot change the terms of your spousepartner's recognizance or drop the charges yourself. Only crown counsel can do that. If you <span class="noglossary">contact</span> your partner, you could be making matters worse since you'll be inviting him or her to break the terms of the recognizance, which might result in further criminal charges against your spouse.
===Information for accused persons===