A witness who stormed out of a parliamentary committee meeting in tears Wednesday is demanding an apology from a Liberal MP who put a halt to a planned discussion about violence against women in favour of a debate about abortion rights.

Cait Alexander was on Parliament Hill to provide testimony at a rare summer hearing of the House of Commons status of women committee when she says Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld re-victimized her as a survivor of domestic violence.

91裸聊视频淚 am completely flabbergasted,91裸聊视频� Alexander said in an interview after the meeting Wednesday.

91裸聊视频淭his is exactly what it felt like these last few years, where I91裸聊视频檓 literally showing my bludgeoned, bleeding, bruised body and the people who have authority and power in this country are saying, 91裸聊视频榃ell, we care about you.91裸聊视频� But then they silence you.91裸聊视频�

Vandenbeld, who serves as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of International Development, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Alexander was one of two witnesses who stormed out of the meeting organized so MPs could hear from advocates for domestic violence victims and a deputy chief of the Peel Regional Police.

The meeting was scheduled after the killing of Breanna Broadfoot, 17, in London, Ont., who police say was a victim of intimate partner violence.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said last week that the suspect had previously been arrested but was released before the fatal attack, and criticized the Liberal government91裸聊视频檚 bail policies.

Though witnesses at the committee set out to similarly argue that the current justice and bail system is failing victims, the session quickly derailed into a mess of political bickering.

During her opening statement, Alexander, who heads up the advocacy group End Violence Everywhere, shared her personal story as her family watched from the public benches behind her.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 supposed to be dead,91裸聊视频� she told the committee, showing MPs graphic photos of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend three years ago.

91裸聊视频淚f you haven91裸聊视频檛 met a survivor and a victim91裸聊视频檚 family, well, now you have.91裸聊视频�

Before long, Alexander91裸聊视频檚 family members we berating MPs for a partisan display that descended into procedural chaos. Her mother told Vandenbeld that she was 91裸聊视频渄isappointed,91裸聊视频� and the whole thing amounted to further abuse of her daughter.

It began when Vandenbeld was given the floor to ask questions of the witnesses.

She gave a short statement about how much she cared about survivors91裸聊视频� stories, and outlined some of the actions the federal government has taken to address violence against women. Then she chided Conservatives for politicizing the issue by calling the meeting during the summer with little notice, which left other parties unable to prepare or recommend other witnesses.

91裸聊视频淲e do not use victims and survivors of trauma to try and score political points in this committee,91裸聊视频� she pronounced.

91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 cruel to have people relive the trauma that they91裸聊视频檝e endured just to be able to have a meeting that, if it91裸聊视频檚 not agreed to, then there91裸聊视频檚 all kinds of social media that Liberals or others don91裸聊视频檛 care about this issue, which, as we all know, we do very deeply.91裸聊视频�

Instead of pivoting back to the topic at hand, Vandenbeld went on to call for a debate on a motion related to abortion rights 91裸聊视频� an issue Liberals have tried to pin the Conservatives down on for months.

91裸聊视频淭his is the problem. Did she listen to anything that was said this morning?91裸聊视频� said another witness, Megan Walker, who lives in London and advocates to end male violence against women.

After that, the meeting dissolved into a lengthy back-and-forth between MPs, as multiple points of order were brought to the chair.

NDP MP Leah Gazan confronted the Conservative chair of the committee for not allowing her to suggest witnesses for the meeting.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 disgusted,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 representing Ground Zero for murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls.91裸聊视频�

Not long after that, Alexander stormed out of the room in tears. Walker turned her back on the committee and followed.

Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri lambasted Vandenbeld for derailing the meeting, and said the victims came to testify in order to bring about 91裸聊视频渓egitimate change.91裸聊视频�

She apologized to Alexander91裸聊视频檚 mother, who stood behind the witness table.

91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频楽orry91裸聊视频� isn91裸聊视频檛 good enough 91裸聊视频� we91裸聊视频檝e heard 91裸聊视频榮orry,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Alexander91裸聊视频檚 mother told the committee.

The meeting adjourned shortly thereafter.

Alexander said afterward the entire ordeal was retraumatizing and that the committee91裸聊视频檚 actions are 91裸聊视频渆xactly the type of behaviour that has allowed my abuser to go free.91裸聊视频�

Alexander flew to Ottawa from Los Angeles to testify, and stressed she didn91裸聊视频檛 make the trip for partisan reasons. She saw it as an opportunity to highlight her story and those of countless other women who have had similar experiences, she said.

While abortion is a 91裸聊视频渟erious issue91裸聊视频� deserving of attention, she described the antics of the committee, and Vandenbeld, as 91裸聊视频渁busive,91裸聊视频� and accused the Liberal of trying to use her trauma for political gain.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 so utterly disrespectful, inhumane and honestly just unkind to not allow us to continue a healthy conversation on what was supposed to be discussed, and the audacity to do something like that,91裸聊视频� she said.

Ferreri said in a statement the Liberals effectively silenced the victims.

91裸聊视频淚t is disgusting that this so-called feminist Liberal government today completely shut down a committee study into violence against women,91裸聊视频� Ferreri said.

91裸聊视频淭he Liberals pulled this heartless stunt to cover for the prime minister whose reckless policies have unleashed a crime wave across Canada that disproportionately affects women and vulnerable groups.91裸聊视频�

Walker said she hasn91裸聊视频檛 had an experience like the one she endured on Parliament Hill Wednesday in 25 years of advocacy.

91裸聊视频淲hile they silenced us in that meeting, they will not silence us from moving forward in our valuable work to end male violence against women.91裸聊视频�

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press