Missing Women Commission Of Inquiry Releases Study Reports

The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry has released four reports that form part of the study commission aspect of its mandate.

The reports, which are available on the Commission’s website at www.missingwomeninquiry.ca/reports-and-publications/ are:Standing Together and Moving Forward: Report on the Pre-Hearing Conference in Prince George and the Northern Community Forums, which consolidates what the Commission heard at these events, identifies seven issues and themes addressed in the presentations and consolidates the recommendations for action made by the presenters.

• Downtown Eastside Consultation Program Report provides an overview of the Commission’s Downtown Eastside consultation program from October to December 2011, and summarizes the issues identified by presenters and their recommendations for change.

• Policy Discussion Report: Police Protection of Vulnerable and Marginalized Women examines what steps can be taken to enable police to protect women more effectively and to prevent these crimes from occurring based on a review of Canadian and international reports on missing and murdered women and the prevention of violence against women, and on reviews of systemic misconduct and discrimination within police forces.

• Municipal Policing in the Lower Mainland District of British Columbia provides factual information on municipal policing in British Columbia by independent municipal police departments and contract RCMP detachments within Metro Vancouver.

The Commission invites written submissions on the issues discussed in the reports and on other issues within its terms of reference by April 15, 2012. Information on how to make a submission is on the Commission’s website at http://www.missingwomeninquiry.ca/ways-to-participate/

The study commission reports and written submissions received from individuals and organizations will assist in the development of the Commission’s Policy Forums to be held in early May and the Commission’s report and recommendations.

The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry is conducting a range of research and consultation activities to gather the information required to make effective recommendations for province-wide change.

Additional policy discussion and research reports will be published as they become available.

All of the reports were prepared for consideration by the Commission and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Commissioner or Commission staff. No findings of fact will be made based on these reports and no conclusions have been reached to date on the issues raised in them.

The Commissioner gratefully acknowledges the assistance provided by all of those who participated in and supported the consultations in the Downtown Eastside and in the northern communities.

About the Commission:

The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry was appointed by the B.C. provincial government in September 2010 with a mandate to inquire into the conduct of police investigations of women reported missing from the Downtown Eastside between January 23, 1997 and February 5, 2002, and to review the decision by the B.C. Criminal Justice Branch on January 27, 1998 to stop legal proceedings against Robert William Pickton on charges of attempted murder, assault with a weapon, forcible confinement and aggravated assault; to recommend changes considered necessary respecting the initiation and conduct of investigations in B.C. of missing women and suspected multiple homicides; and to recommend changes considered necessary respecting homicide investigations in B.C. by more than one investigating organization, including the coordination of those investigations. The Commission is currently scheduled to report back to the Attorney General by the end of June, 2012.

-30-

Media contact:

Chris Freimond
604-990-1378
778-840-2428