Dozens of Aboriginal women pick up phone to complain about Quebec police abuse

It's been just a month since Quebec Public Security MinisterMartin Coiteuxinvited Aboriginal women across Quebec to call a new toll-free line if they'd been assaulted by police.

In that short time, 44 women have reached out.

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Coiteux said the new line was an alternative to calling the Montreal police force, which isin charge of investigating allegations against eight Sret du Qubec officers thatsurfaced last fall in a Radio-Canada Enqute report.

40 per cent ready to press charges

Calls to the new hotline are beingdirected to anexisting paralegalcounselling service for aboriginal peopleServices parajudiciairesautochtonesdu Qubec.

"We were not expecting that kind of result," said JeanJolicoeur, the vice-president of the paralegal service.

"Within a month, we had 44 women that reached out to us and explained their case."

He said it only made sense to offer women an alternative to calling the Montreal police force.

"You have to realize it was extremely difficult for them to call police, to make a claim against another police."

Jolicoeur said most of the women are not ready to press charges at this time.

"Fortyper cent" are, he said.

No more code of silence

Patricia Bouchard, a community worker at the Sexual Assault Prevention Centre in Val d'Or, says it's "appalling" the number is so high.

"We knew there was an issue, but we never knew how big it was," said Bouchard.

Bouchard said allegations of sexual assault stay hidden all too often.

"It means to us the silence has been broken,that there is no more omert (code of silence) about allegations like that."

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Bouchard also congratulatedthe province for hiring the First Nations paralegal services to set up an alternative.

"I'm glad a second line was offered to these women," said Bouchard. "So they can feel free to talk to whomever they want to because it's such a difficult thing to break the silence."

The province's contract with the paralegal services agencyis for two years.

Montreal police also have a hotline, but the force was unable to tell CBC News how many Aboriginal people had laid complaints using that service.

First Nations paralegal serviceshotline number:1-888-844-2094
Montreal police hotline:1-844-615-3118