The Quebec government said it is taking a cautious approach to handling the very delicate situation of sexual abuse allegations against SQ officers.
Native Affairs Minister Geoff Kelley met with aboriginal community leaders in Val d'Or this weekend and said the allegations that eight SQ officers systematically sexually abused aboriginal women from the community of Val d'Or are troubling.
“That relations between the police and communities are difficult; that part didn't surprise me, but the nature and the serious allegations that were made did surprise me,” said Kelley.
Kelley is calling for calm.
“We have to be careful and not rush to judgment because we also need police officers and most police officers in our society work very hard in difficult circumstances all the time,” he said.
The Kahnawake-based Quebec Native Women's association is watching the situation closely.
“Definitely confidence in the policing institution in general has been shaken, so it's tough. It's an uncomfortable situation. Our organization will be meeting with other aboriginal organizations (Tuesday) in Val d'Or and together we'll be coming up with a list of demands,” said Alana Boileau, justice and public security coordinator of the group.
While Montreal police have taken over the investigation into the allegations against the SQ officers, the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations said that raises issues that go beyond the question of whether police should be investigating the police.
“We're not sure that the Montreal police officers and investigators have the necessary cross-cultural competency, the knowledge and the familiarity with the aboriginal communities,” said CRARR executive director Fo Niemi.
Niemi believes the aboriginal community in Val d'Or may be suspicious of the Montreal police force.
“You have a predominantly white police department coming in and looking into possible wrongdoings of another predominantly white police department, in which the victims are aboriginal women. I think the equation is very clear,” he said.
There are also calls for a public inquiry, separate from calls for a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.
For now, it's not clear just how far Quebec is willing to go.
“As to an inquiry, I think we'll wait and see what the federal government does before taking our own decision,” said Kelley.
Meantime, a meeting of 43 First Nations leaders from Quebec and Labrador is set for Tuesday in Val d'Or.
The chiefs have been invited at the behest of Grand Chief Ghislain Picard of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador.
They will meet at the local Native Friendship Centre, where the women first made their allegations.
The chiefs are seeking a collective and active position on dealing with violence against women and children.
Val d’Or Mayor Pierre Corbeil is having a special caucus meeting with his fellow councillors to determine how to proceed.
“There are some problems – big problems – there and we have to support those ladies until the end of the entire process, definitely, but we have to re-establish the confidence with the police officers too, to maintain security on the territory,” he said.
