VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – RCMP are facing more complaints of police misconduct, after the release of a report looking at northern BC’s infamous Highway of Tears.
An international human rights watchdog is drawing attention to the issue with its Human Rights Watch report.
The group Justice for Girls set the wheels in motion by alerting Human Rights Watch to what it calls human rights violations against Aboriginal girls in Northern BC. Asia Czapska with Justice for Girls says people fear lodging complaints about police.
“This is why it was very necessary for someone from the outside or a well-respected international organization to come in and try and shed some light on what is going on in British Columbia,” says Czapska.
The result is a series of complaints about police misconduct – everything from abusive policing to physical and sexual abuse.
RCMP are asking for people to come forward. But Samer Muscati with Human Rights Watch says people are afraid.
“Given that there has been such a lack of accountability for police abuse in the past, it makes sense that girls are afraid to speak out because they’re already vulnerable,” he says.
RCMP say they’ve been asking for months to have the complaints be brought forward, with no success.
Opposition looks to Harper for action
The Opposition is demanding an independent probe into the claims of abuse.
New Democrat MP Niki Ashton says the Harper government should act in response to a report from the group Human Rights Watch. “It’s been years since there’s been a national inquiry, and yet again today in the house, even after an international organization’s report is calling for them to do so. They have refuse to take action and implement a national inquiry.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called on Human Rights Watch to share information with police about their allegations.
“In recent times we’ve been very successful investigating cases that have been brought forward. It was really difficult to get a handle on the scope of the problem without having that information,” says Janice Armstrong with the RCMP.
She says there are no plans for a full-scale inquiry.
The report has moved the federal Liberals into action. The party says it will use a rare opportunity in the House of Commons to bring forward a motion tomorrow for an investigation into missing and murdered women across Canada.
The Grits say the Tories have ignored calls for a full public inquiry.
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Complaining to the RCMP about abuse by the RCMP, is about the same as the Jews going to Hitler, after all they sexually abuse their own. We need a new police force, controlled by the people!!!
grumpy you are a scumbag like all other RCMP. Shame on you .
@lynn you are a true babbling idiot
Name calling is ok…as long as you can at least tell me why. I see you have failed to do that so must conclude you were simply wanting to play school-yard bully rather than participate.
Carry on.
It is a bunch of babble because Grumpy never once said the alleged abuse by RCMP officers never happened. You clearly missed the point of the post which was bang on. You VERY rarely hear in the news of the abuse which goes on within many native communities amongst themselves, it is only when it involves outsiders that it suddenly becomes an issue.
Grumpy and those of you who are attempting to divert the attention from a corrupt “police” organization to the families of the VICTIMS….are lunatics. (or racist…take your pick)
I work in social services. Are you aware that far more white people are rapists…than natives? That’s a statistical fact. Are you aware that far more kids in care due to physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect are overwhelmingly white? Fact.
Are you also aware that it is ILLEGAL to print about cases of abuse when being investigated when it involves a minor? Ya…didn’t think so.
So, before you start with your glass house garbage…get clear on the facts….
Fact – police have for decades been turning a blind eye to the horrors inflicted by white men on native women. This can no longer be denied by the racist, priveleged white population….due to the truth coming out in the inquiry.
Fact – police for decades have been physicall and sexually abusing native CHILDREN and women for decades….and NOW the facts are going to come to light.
You work for the BC Ambulance service Grunmpy and you are UNAWARE of these facts? Really? And you think that we should just ignore the abuse done by “police” because kids are getting beaten and raped in their own communities? REALLY? Tell me, how the heck does that make ANY sense at all? Where is the justice in that? Or are you of the belief (read jaded by now) that if they can “take it at home” then the police should be able to have their way with them since…why not…they are already damaged goods? Good grief. What a pathetic world we live in. And to post such ignorance on the eve of the Annual Women’s Memorial March. Dispicable. You should be ashamed of yourself…
there is political corruption in the rcmp (rcmp officer with bc liberal ties re-opened Glen Clark case), and sexual harassment. i think all male rcmp officers should be subjected to penile plethysmographs to assess their risk for sexual harassment to female colleagues and members of the public.
When crimes are never pursued to a logical conclusion, and no perpetrator is apprehended, it makes one wonder if the police are somehow involved in the crime. After all, they do get to investigate themselves don’t they? Consider the Picton inquiry, with no clear explanation for the deaths of many women (40 and counting); only six were proved to be victims of Mr. Picton. What cover-ups could there be, along the “Highway of Tears”?
Lol the human rights group is a farce….
I agree there are problems with the RCMP, I agree that there are problems with EVERY police department. I find it very hard to swallow that this watch group and the news media always over look the problems with in the native community itself. I live in the Peace country and work for the ambulance service. Rape, abuse and physical violence is common place and no one seams to care about that, it’s only when the RCMP are involved does it get printed. I have seen so much damage done to natives at the hands of their own parents, leaders and family member it isn’t funny. I find it funny how the native community screams at everyone else about miss-treatment but they do nothing about what they are doing to themselves. So before everyone starts hurling rocks at the RCMP, please step out of your own glass house.
Bang on Grummpy! They live in glass houses but love to throw rocks!
They definetely abuse their own kids and families 1,000 more times than any other organization or group of individuals.
you are 100% correct. very well said.
I totally agree. Enough is enough I have close friends with RCMP who are applying to City police departments. They all say the same thing, no leadership, operating in the dark ages, their members have no protection and are treated poorly by senior management and their health care is being cut. Also City departments make more!! The RCMP are in a desperate state right now from what I am being told and the secret is out of the bag!!
The RCMP is a broken organization. How much more can the Province take of a federal police department trying to keep up? BC desperately needs to transition a regional police force!!!! The days of the RCMP pretending that things are great, dressing up in theirtoP Red Surge are over.