Martine Anglade, community organizer at Femmes du Monde, said she and fellow frontline workers at the Côte-des-Neiges women's centre were shaken by the extreme level of violence demonstrated in the incident. "It's the first time I've ever heard of something like this happening. It's really shocking for all of us," she said.
Anglade added that the centre aims to discuss the vicious attack with the women they support. "It's something we're definitely going to talk about. After an incident that extreme, this is something that could worry them," she said.
Sally Richmond, executive director of Logifem, said that the Quebec City case is a reminder that domestic violence is a pervasive issue. She advised extra vigilance and care for women facing domestic violence.
"This is an extreme case, but there are lots of women living in situations where they're dealing with violence and fear of violence. The important thing to do is listen, to understand, to withhold judgement, to let the person know they are believed and that it's not their fault," said Richmond.
Victims of domestic violence in Montreal can call SOS Violence Conjugal at 1-800-363-9010 for free and confidential 24/7 support or reach out to Shield of Athena for emergency shelter and service in 10 languages.
CJAD 800's Sofia Misenheimer contributed to this report.