Bailey McCourt, a mother of two from Kelowna, was killed on July 4, just hours after her former partner was convicted of previous violent acts. Her death has sparked deep concern about the justice system’s ability to protect women from intimate partner violence.
James Plover, her ex-partner, had been found guilty of assault and threats related to a June 23 incident. However, instead of being taken into custody, he remained free as the court waited for a psychiatric evaluation. This delay left McCourt vulnerable, and just hours later, she was murdered. Plover is now charged with second-degree murder.
The court transcript, reviewed by media sources, showed that his sentencing was pushed back up to 10 weeks. The details of his release conditions are not known to the public.
Women’s safety groups say McCourt’s death is another painful example of a system that often fails to protect women from men they have already reported to the police.
Karla Gjini, a member of Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter, explained that many women avoid going to the police because they don’t trust the system to protect them.
She said that repeated cases of women being attacked or killed by men they had previously reported are far too common.
Gjini believes the system’s failure is not just about policy, but about weak enforcement. She pointed out that court-ordered protection rules or bail conditions often do little to stop violence before it happens.
Even when women report threats, she said, police do not always take them seriously. This is especially true when the threats come from someone the woman had a relationship with.
“If a man threatens a woman he once dated, the system often treats it as less serious,” she said. “And when the police don’t act, it tells women they’re not being heard.”
Gjini stressed that understanding what went wrong in McCourt’s case is the first step toward change. She called for full transparency into how the justice system handled the case.
She asked why Plover was allowed to remain free, and whether any safety conditions were reviewed after his conviction.
Gjini noted that British Columbia already has laws and policies to protect women. The problem, she said, lies in the failure to use those tools effectively.
“This isn’t about missing laws,” she explained. “It’s about not following through. Every person in the justice system has a role to play in keeping women safe.”
She said women should be seen as full people who deserve safety at home and in public. Without real change, more women may face the same fate as Bailey McCourt.
McCourt’s case has renewed urgent calls for better protections for women at risk. Advocates say that without stronger action and full accountability, the justice system will continue to fall short.
Her story is a reminder that intimate partner violence remains a major issue—and that current safety measures are not enough to prevent more tragedies.
