Coquitlam RCMP using tragic story of Maple Batalia to educate people on domestic violence

SURREY (NEWS 1130) — The tragic story of Maple Batalia, the young woman who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend nearly a decade ago in Surrey, is part of an upcoming panel discussion looking at violence in domestic relationships.

Related Article: Documentary about Maple Batalia being screened this weekend

The webinar, which will help teach people to spot red flags in a relationship, is being hosted by the Coquitlam RCMP.

Nicole Cairns is a community policing services coordinator and says the topic is crucial because “It can be really scary for victims of domestic violence to come forward.”

“We want to ensure that people experiencing violent relationships — as well as their friends and their family — are able to recognize unacceptable behaviour in a relationship and know that there’s resources and services out there that can help them,” Cairns tells NEWS 113.

“A lot of people question if their situation is really under the category of domestic violence … So it’s just so important that they know, it’s never the wrong time. If you feel like something’s not right, then reach out.”

The panel will include the Tri-city Transition Society, the Provincial Domestic Violence Coordinator, a Coquitlam RCMP Victim Support Worker and a friend of Batalia’s, Benisha Aujla.

“Benisha has always been great to helping us out with some of these talks that we’ve done — bringing forward Maple’s story, trying to reach out and make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else out in the community,” Cairns says.

If you’d like to attend the free event this Tuesday, you can signup is through Eventbrite.

Batalia, then 19, was shot multiple times in the parking lot of Surrey’s SFU campus on Sept. 28, 2011. Her ex-boyfriend, Gurjinder Dhaliwal, later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 21 years.