The chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador is calling for an independent inquiry into allegations of police abuse against aboriginal women in the town of Val d’Or.
Following a meeting of First Nations leaders on Tuesday, Ghislain Picard gave Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard 24 hours to meet with aboriginal leaders to discuss the issue. He also said he wants prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau to launch a public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women within 30 days of assuming office.
Tuesday’s meeting was called after allegations surfaced last week that nine members of the Quebec provincial police force physically and sexually abused First Nations women in the Val d’Or area. One of those officers died before the allegations became public.
Last Friday, Quebec Public Security Minister Lise Theriault announced that eight Surete du Quebec officers were suspended with pay after allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct were highlighted in an investigative TV program.
Various women described alleged systemic abuse at the hands of police officers, including one who alleged that cops took her to a remote location and asked her to perform oral sex for $200.
Heading into Tuesday’s meeting, one of the aboriginal chiefs said a “wall of silence” surrounding abuse of First Nations women is now crumbling, CTV’s Montreal Bureau Chief Genevieve Beauchemin reported.
Other leaders said the meeting was an opportunity to look at the larger issue of violence and racism against aboriginal people -- not just in Val D’Or, but across the Quebec and Canada.
After the eight officers were suspended, there were reports of dozens of other officers in the Val d’Or area calling in sick over the weekend.
But the head of the Quebec provincial police, Martin Prud’homme, said there’s no crisis in Val d’Or, located approximately 500 kilometres northwest of Montreal.
He said the police force will implement new measures in wake of the allegations. That includes installing cameras inside police cruisers and asking social workers to join officers on patrol in downtown Val d’Or.
The Montreal police force is investigating the allegations against Surete du Quebec officers. But Picard said Tuesday that he wants the investigation to be transferred to an independent body.
Michelle Audette, the former president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, said the allegations against the police officers are “the result of a system that doesn’t work … or a system that needs to be rearranged.”
She told CTV News Channel Tuesday that it’s already difficult for aboriginal women to report abuse within their own communities. That becomes even harder when the allegations involve police, Audette said.
She said she’s confident that Quebec’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Kelley, will listen closely to the First Nations leaders’ and community members’ recommendations on how to deal with the crisis.
