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Indigenous women in Saskatchewan subject to police mistreatment: report
SASKATOON — A human rights group says indigenous women in Saskatchewan have been subjected to violence, invasive strip searches and other mistreatment by police.
June 19, 2017 By The Canadian Press
A report from New-York-based Human Rights Watch documents 64 cases of violent abuse the group heard of last year in talks with indigenous women and social workers.
The report cites multiple complaints of violent arrests, strip searches by male police officers and a lack of protection for women who were victims of domestic violence.
Human Rights Watch says a fractured relationship between indigenous communities and police agencies stems back to residential schools, when police helped ensure kids attended the schools away from their homes.
The report says Saskatchewan should set up an independent unit to investigate allegations of police misconduct instead of letting police agencies oversee reviews themselves.
The report also calls for more detox facilities, more female officers to do strip searches and more training for police officers on indigenous history.
News from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. 2017
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