Homicide rate 6 times higher for aboriginal Canadians: StatsCan

Winnipeg Police officers are seen at a crime scene in Winnipeg in this undated photo.

Aboriginal Canadians were victims of homicide at a rate approximately six times higher than non-aboriginals in 2014, according to new findings from Statistics Canada that show nearly one quarter of homicide victims were aboriginal – a group that accounts for only five per cent of the country’s population.

The Canadian homicides report, released Wednesday, marks the first year the survey has had complete police-reported data on the aboriginal identity of victims and people accused of homicide. In addition, police-reported data on the aboriginal identity of female homicide victims is now available from 1980 to 2013.

In total, Canadian police services reported 516 homicides in 2014. Of that, 117 people -- or 23 per cent -- were reported by police as aboriginal.

The data also showed that aboriginal males were in the greatest risk group: They were seven times more likely to be homicide victims -- compared with non-aboriginal males -- and three times more likely than aboriginal females.

The report also found that a higher proportion of aboriginal homicides were solved by police compared to non-aboriginal victims. For both aboriginal and non-aboriginal groups, the majority of solved homicides were perpetrated by someone who was known to the victim.

The incidence of homicide by other family members was also more common among female aboriginals.

In addition, one-third (32 per cent) of people accused of homicides in 2014 were aboriginal, the report found.

The chart below shows the number of murdered aboriginal women has stayed relatively the same, compared to the number of non-aboriginal women.

Plans for national inquiry

The report comes as the new Liberal government looks to announce a national inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.

Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Carolyn Bennett said earlier in November, that she’s hoping to announce a pre-inquiry consultation process within the next few months.

In general, Canada’s homicide rate remained stable, with 2013 and 2014, posting the lowest homicide rates since 1966.

This chart shows Canada's overall homicide rate. it excludes the victims of the 1985 Air India bombing.