P.A. police respond to report on the treatment of Indigenous women
Following a report by an American-based human rights advocacy group on the treatment of Indigenous women by police, Prince Albert’s police service is considering forming a committee specifically to review the findings.
Human Rights Watch released a report today highlighting the need for the national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls to include the relationship between Indigenous women and police.
The report is based on six-weeks of information gathering, which includes interviewing 64 Indigenous women from across Saskatchewan. Service providers in various cities were also interviewed including some in Prince Albert. The interviews took place between January and July of 2016, a few months prior to the launch of the inquiry in September.
Human Rights Watch’s report argues high rates of neglect by police when Indigenous women reported domestic violence as well as inappropriate and invasive body and strip searches, sexual harassment and physical assault.