Rules not followed when Montreal rape victim redirected to other hospital: OQLF
The English-speaking hospital that refused to perform a forensic kit on a rape victim because she was French-speaking failed to follow procedures, the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) has ruled.
The OQLF said the rules state that the service must be offered to the victim and that redirecting her to another facility requires her consent.
OQLF President and CEO Dominique Malack announced the findings of the organization's investigation on Tuesday during the study of the Ministry of the French Language's budget appropriations.
The story first broke in the media in July 2023. A rape victim had been refused a forensic kit by the Montreal General Hospital because her mother tongue was French. The police had to take the victim to another hospital, which did not have a forensic kit. At the third hospital, the victim was finally able to receive service.
The OQLF then launched an investigation.
"The General Hospital's application of the protocol, without taking into account its obligation to provide services in French, obviously ran counter to the requirements of the Charter of the French Language," concluded Malack.
"The hospital, therefore, would not have complied with the procedures that stipulate that the service must be explicitly offered to the victim and that his or her redirection must be subject to prior consent," Malack added.
The CEO specified that the ability of the hospital's staff to offer the service in French was "not necessarily in question."
Malack said the OQLF also conducted inspections at various times of the day and week to verify the availability of French service without giving advance notice of its arrival. The Office also met with the Ministry of Health, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and a centre for victims of sexual assault.
"What resulted was the modification of the sexual assault protocol and a reminder to all staff of their obligations," the OQLF said.
Further inspections in spring 2024 confirmed that "the service was available at all times and that the correct protocol was being applied."
In addition, a "ministerial orientation" was issued last November by the Ministry of Health and Social Services "specifying that the services of designated centres must be offered to victims regardless of their language", Malack concluded.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 23, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.