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Task force should review cases of suspicious deaths, women's advocate says

By: Gabrielle Giroday

Posted: 03/23/2010 7:25 PM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

WINNIPEG -- The head of a national Aboriginal women’s group urged a police task force looking at the deaths of missing and murdered high-risk Manitoba women to review suspicious deaths as well.

Jeannette Corbiere-Lavell, president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), was in Winnipeg on Tuesday to speak about violence against women.

RCMP headquarters in Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Police Service announced a seven-officer joint task force this August, bolstered by two civilian analysts. It’s reviewing 84 unsolved deaths and missing persons cases where foul play is suspected, dating back to 1926.

The task force does not have a mandate to examine deaths that are initially classified as suspicious but are not ultimately determined to be homicides.

For example, the task force is not examining the April 2009 death of Nicole Daniels, 16, who was found in a Transcona parking lot with a condom in her pocket and high amounts of alcohol in her system.

Daniels’ death was ultimately classified as accidental following an autopsy and police investigation, but her family has outstanding questions about the circumstances of her death.

Corbiere-Lavell said families of women who are suspicious about their deaths may have special knowledge about whether or not they’ve been victimized.

"That’s the kind of suspicion that should be looked at," she said.

Earlier this month, the federal government announced $10 million to address the "disturbingly high number" of those women, although details of where the funding will go are yet to come.

"Aboriginal women remain particularly vulnerable to violence and can face challenges in accessing the justice system, which should be protecting them," said the budget.

NWAC runs the Sisters in Spirit initiative, which documents and tracks the deaths of First Nations women across Canada.

The organization estimated as of November 2008 there were 510 cases of missing or murdered Aboriginal women and girls, and put that number at more than 520 by early this year.

Corbiere-Lavell said leadership of Native communities – who are mostly men - must treat the issue of violence against women as a governance issue, not a social problem.

She said violence against First Nations is not simply an "internal problem" for the community.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca

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