Protesters call for speedy justice for family of wife, 2 kids killed in triple homicide

Warning: This story references domestic violence

Dozens of protesters, including outreach workers, family and friends, gathered outside the Longueuil courthouse Monday morning to denounce the time it's taking for a man accused of killing two children and their mother to face justice.

The group rallied behind Sylvie Guertin, whose 38-year-old daughter, Synthia Bussière, was found stabbed to death inside a high-rise apartment building in Brossard, on Montreal's South Shore, on Sept. 24, 2022. Her two kids — two-year-old Zac and five-year-old Eliam — were drowned in what police called a triple-homicide and arson.

The accused is the children's father and Bussière's husband, Mohamad Al Boullouz. He remains in jail pending his trial. A preliminary inquiry is scheduled for 10 days beginning on Jan. 15, 2024, before the start of his trial in Superior Court.

Under the Supreme Court of Canada's landmark decision known as the Jordan ruling, an accused person must have their case completed within 30 months of charges being laid if it's being heard in the Superior Court (cases before provincial court must be completed within 18 months).

Cases that exceed these ceilings can be — and have been — tossed out on grounds that an accused's Charter right to a speedy trial has been violated.

Guertin is worried that her daughter's case might go down this path.

"It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense that after a year, there has been no movement," she said she said outside the courthouse on Monday.

"There's no way to describe this sadness. I've lost my child and my grandchildren. I've asked questions since they were killed and still don't have any answers."

Maria Papadakis, a community worker with the Com'Femme women's centre on the South Shore, said she has reached out to the provincial and federal governments to appoint more judges, however, she says she feels ignored.

According to the most recently available statistics, there are five vacancies of federally appointed judges in Quebec's Superior Court.

SUPPORT NETWORK

Victims of domestic violence can contact SOS violence conjugale at 1-800-363-9010.

Other resources:

• Federation des Maisons d'Hebergement pour Femmes
• Shield of Athena
• Espace Sans Violence
• Regroupement des Maisons Pour Femmes Victimes de Violence Conjugale
• Centre de Solidarite Lesbienne