An aboriginal woman who told Radio-Canada she was mistreated by Sûreté du Québec police officers in Val-d'Or later gave different information to an investigator, revealed in a $3 M$ defamation trial against the Crown corporation.
• Read more: “I was seen as a sex offender”: SQ police officers in Val-d'Or seek $3 million from Radio-Canada
• Read more: Val-d'Or police officers to seek $3 million from Radio-Canada for defamation
“In the report, he talked about an event that happened in the winter. During our meeting, he mentioned the birthday of one of his children and talked about the month of October,” investigator Brigitte Dufresne testified this Thursday in a Montreal court.
A Montreal police investigator is on the stand against a request by 42 provincial police officers seeking $2.9 million from Radio-Canada over the report. SQ Abuse: Women Break the Silence, Aired on Enquête in 2015.
Journalist Josie Dupuis reports that indigenous women from Val-d'Or in Abidipi have suffered physical and sexual violence at the hands of police officers.
The allegations sent shock waves, prompting the government to launch an independent investigation, among other things.
Contradictions
So the investigator was called to the Dufresne Val-d'Or to investigate a Native woman's accusation that she was mistreated by a patrol officer before being abandoned in a Walmart parking lot.
But the woman gave different dates to the police officer from the ones she gave to the journalist. The investigator then spoke to a potential witness who gave different dates for his role. Contradictions arose when talking to the tribal woman's friends.
The latter changed his mind, saying he was dropped off in the police station parking lot, not the Walmart parking lot.
Following this police investigation, the Director of Criminal and Criminal Prosecutions chose not to file a chargesheet as there was insufficient evidence to lead to a conviction.
Different standards
However, for Radio-Canada, which vigorously defends its journalist and reporting, the investigator's testimony is not relevant.
“We are a journalistic investigation and cannot compare [une enquête] Police officer,” said M.e Genevieve Gagnon.
Me Geneviève Gagnon, Radio-Canada's lawyer, is seeking $2.9 million from Radio-Canada as part of the civil defamation trial of 42 Val-d'Or police officers in a Montreal court this February 7, 2024. A report from the “Enquête” program published in 2015. Photo by Michael Kuen
Photo by Michael Nguyen
She recalled that this police investigation took place after the report was airedinvestigation, So apparently, his journalist couldn't access the investigator's findings.
Sûreté du Québec police officers lawyer Mr.e Marco Cacchino responded that the journalist could have taken the same steps as the police officer, for example by meeting the indigenous woman's friends.
Me Marco Gaggino is representing 42 Val-d'Or police officers who are seeking almost $3 million from Radio-Canada for a report on the “Enquête” program published in 2015. Photo by MICHAEL NGUYEN
Photo by Michael Nguyen
The civil trial, before Justice Babak Barr of Quebec's Superior Court, continues throughout the week.
Yesterday, three Val-d'Or police officers testified about the report's impact on their work, saying they were branded as completely false by what the report said.
