More aboriginal women allege abuse at hands of Quebec provincial police

More aboriginal women across Quebec are speaking out about what they say is physical and sexual abuse at the hands of provincial police officers.

• Aboriginal women's claims of police sex abuse under investigation

• Enqute investigation into Val-d'Or(English)

The women who hail from places such asScheffervilleandManiwaki say they wanted to share their own experiences after Radio-Canada's investigative programEnquteaired a story in Novemberabout aboriginal women inVal-d'Oralleging they were sexually assaulted by Sret du Qubec officers over a period of two decades.

Following the report, thenpublic safety minister Lise Thriault handed investigation of the allegations to the Montreal police.

Women come forward

Lise Jourdain says she experienced abuse at the hands of SQ officersover 25 years ago.

"I was raped by police officers in Schefferville," she told Enqute.

"Actually, it was one officer,but I use plural because the others knew what was happening."

Kristen Wawatie, originally from Lac Barrire in theAbitibi region of Quebec, saidshe was violated by an officer in Val-d'Or in August 2012.

"I said no, I don't want you to touch me," she said.

"It's then that his hands went, they went in my pants. He said to me that he can touch me when he wanted."

Wawatie saidshe told the officer she would bring him to court.

"He said, 'Who are they going to believe, the police or a drunkard?'"

Deserted by police

Other women are sharing stories about being abandoned by officers at the side of the road, kilometres away from habitable areas.

CarolynHenry saidthat in 2007, she was visiting Maniwaki, a small town north of Gatineau in the Outaouaisregion, for a powwow.

The worst things are going through our heads.You hear the stories of what happened to many other indigenous women.Carolyn Henry

She said she was leaving a bar with a friend when SQ officers offered to give them a lift back to their campground.

But she saidpolice drove past the campground and continued driving for about 45 minutes.

"You can't help at think the worst. I mean, we were in a vulnerable situation, two young indigenous females in a town that we're not from and we don't know anything about," Henry said.

"They knew that we needed a ride. So yeah, like, sure, the worst things are going through our heads. You know, 'cause you hear the stories of what happened to many other indigenous women."

Henry saidthe police drove to what looked like an abandoned gas station, told her and her friend to get out and then drove off, leaving them stranded.

Public security minister promises action

A former employee of Quebec's public securityministry, Isabelle Parent, who worked under the junior minister for 12 years inspecting police forces, saidshe wants to break her silence on the allegations.

"There was no interest. At the top, there was really no interest in the security of aboriginals, aboriginal women," she said.

"That shocked me."

Parent saidprosecutors often said they didn't have enough information to move forward with charges.

In an interview Thursday with Radio-Canada, Public Security MinisterMartinCoiteuxdefended turning down interview requests from theEnquteteam.

He said he had no information on the allegations at the time of the request. On Thursday afternoon, he saidthat he willmake sure complaints are followed up on.

"These allegations will for sure bring with them a government response,"Coiteuxtold Radio-Canada.

"We won't sit around with our arms crossed."

No comment from SQ

The provincial police refused interview requests from theEnquteteam.

Jean O'Bomsawin,a former SQ officer, saidthe allegations about Val-d'Orofficersshocked him.

"My first reaction was, they are going to speak to everybody to make sure this situation is dealt with,that it won't go any further," he said.

"There needs to be a serious investigation into all these allegations, to find the truth. Those who protected other officers must face consequences as well."

The Montreal police saidthe investigation into the conduct of the eight officers in Val-d'Or is continuing.