A "serial killer" is targeting Indigenous women in Canada
The announcement of the arrest of a person suspected of committing a series of murders targeting indigenous women in central Canada sparked a wave of anger and grief, and accusations of the authorities failing to fulfill their promises to protect them.
Police in Winnipeg announced late Thursday that they had charged J.M. with the murder of three women, months after he was accused of killing another Aboriginal woman.
Thursday, a candlelight vigil was organized in Winnipeg, in front of the suspect's house, with the participation of the families of the victims whose bodies have not yet been found.
Manitoba's Minister of Justice, Nahani Fontaine, said on Twitter that she was "outraged, despondent, disgusted and indescribably sad" after the arrest of a "monster" that was haunting the community.
And she continued, "He was not invisible. This alleged killer walked among us. He was in our city, our neighborhoods, and our workplaces."
"When will the protection of Aboriginal women and girls be taken seriously? Winnipeg now has serial killers targeting Aboriginal people," she added. "Are we going to wait for more crimes to happen before acting?"
For his part, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham told reporters Thursday night, "Anger and sadness, that mix is what I'm feeling right now. We have more to do to ensure the safety of this community."
Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smith told reporters: "It's always concerning that there is any kind of serial killing."
According to "Russia Today," the police did not mention the evidence on which they relied to accuse Skibiki in the absence of the bodies, but said that the DNA played a role in deciphering the clues of the crime, nor did it indicate if there was any known relationship between the victims and the alleged killer.
Police in other parts of the country have recently faced investigations over reports that indigenous people are being over-surveilled, but crimes against them are not properly investigated.
According to the British newspaper "The Guardian", "the failure of political leaders to fulfill their promises to combat decades of violence against Indigenous women has exacerbated the grief and anger of Indigenous people and the rest of Canadian citizens."
According to Canadian and British media, up to 4,000 Indigenous women and girls are believed to have been killed or missing in Canada over the past 30 years.
An official report on crimes against indigenous women and girls, issued in 2019, stated that "indigenous women are six times more likely to be killed than other women."
Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news