Inquiry into missing aboriginal women hits close to home for Lethbridge woman

LETHBRIDGE- It was a summer day in July 2007 when 43 year-old Jacqueline Crazybull’s life was cut short. She was one of five people randomly attacked in Calgary. She died from a single stab wound while sitting on a bench.

To this day, her family gives the Calgary Police Service a failing grade when it comes to the investigation.

“I think four people were attacked that day and she was the only one who died,” said Lauren Crazybull, Jackie’s niece. “Up to this day, no one has been caught.”

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Since 1980, about 1,100 aboriginal women in Canada have gone missing or been killed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a campaign promise that if his party was elected, the liberals would call an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women. Now, his government is moving ahead on that promise. It’s an good starting point, but Crazybull is waiting to see how it unfolds before praising the move.

“A lot of people are suspicious about the inquiry. Will they look into these cases that are still open? Will they investigate the RCMP? What is the inquiry going to do?” she asked.

Crazybull feels aboriginal people across Canada don’t trust police to take them seriously. In fact, she says they often fear victimization from those same officers.

“Why have these cases not been looked into properly and will there be an investigation into the RCMP that were involved in these cases? How are they being handled compared to caucasian cases?” asked Crazybull.

The government says the first two months of the inquiry will focus on gathering feedback from victims’ families.