Manitoba RCMP have charged a man and a woman after an investigation found youth witnesses in a criminal case were being intimidated and threatened.
Manitoba RCMP Supt. Michael Koppang, Officer in Charge of Major Crime Services, said Wednesday that police received information in early June that youth victims in an ongoing criminal matter dating back to 2019 were being intimidated and threatened.
RCMP launched Project Detract to protect the victims, find out who was responsible for the threats, and safeguard the integrity of the justice system.
Koppang said the investigation led to charges against a man who was already in custody for previous crimes against the victims, and working with a person on the outside to continue the threats.
The man was apparently trying to use intimidation as a way to have his charges dropped. He was further charged on Aug. 13 with four counts of obstruction of justice, disobeying a court order, and counselling to commit an indictable offence.
An adult woman was also arrested and charged with four counts of obstruction and with counselling to commit an indictable offence.
As the victims in the investigation were youths, police are withholding the names of the accused.
A second case of witness intimidation took place last week, when RCMP announced intimidation and obstruction charges in connection with a Steinbach bomb threat.
The bomb threat turned out to be a hoax, but RCMP have described it as reckless and dangerous.
An anonymous person called 911 on July 30 and said there was a bomb in the washroom of the Steinbach courthouse, about 60 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg.
A suspicious device was found but it was not a bomb.
Christian Peter Jaques, 41, from Richer, Man., was charged.
“We want to make it clear to anyone who attempts to threaten victims, to go after witnesses, and intimidate our officers, that they will not succeed,” said Koppang.
“The RCMP will use all available resources and will go to great lengths to protect the integrity of our justice system.”
–With files from The Canadian Press
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