on Sunday evening Ottawa Police responded to a distress call at a residence on lady slipper way in the city's West End upon arrival they discovered 47-year-old Jennifer zaburo with traumatic injuries tragically she was pronounced dead at the scene Jennifer zerillo's husband 55-year-old Michael zaburo was subsequently arrested and charged with second deegree murder he appeared in court virtually from Montford hospital where he was being treated for injuries to his knee and hand a non-con order has been issued against Michael zaburo prohibiting him from contacting five individuals he has not yet secured legal representation this tragic event has left the community in mourning and has prompted a significant response from law enforcement and advocacy groups alike Jennifer Zabo was a civilian employee of the Royal Canadian Navy headquarters and neighbors expressed shock at the incident describing the couple as friendly importantly this case has garnered attention for its classific as femicide a term signifying the killing of a woman or girl because of her gender this marks the first time the Ottawa Police Service has publicly used the term femicide in a news release the decision to use this terminology reflects a growing recognition of the gendered nature of violence against women according to the Canadian femicide Observatory for justice and accountability over 850 femicides have occurred in Canada since 2018 this statistic highlights the urgent need for greater awareness and and prevention efforts employing the term femicide is not merely a semantic change it represents a crucial step towards accurately understanding and addressing this specific form of Violence by acknowledging the gender-based motive Behind These crimes law enforcement and policy makers can develop more effective strategies to protect women and hold perpetrators accountable advocates for victims of domestic violence emphasize the importance of recognizing the patterns and motivations behind femicide they stress the need for increased support for women experiencing intimate partner violence and for societal changes that challenge the root causes of gender-based violence this tragic event serves as a somber reminder of the ongoing issue of violence against women and the importance of addressing it head-on thank you for watching stay informed and stay safe