Supporters and relatives of a Curve Lake First Nation, Ont., woman who died in early 2021 want her alleged assailant to face upgraded charges.
Nearly 200 people gathered outside Peterborough City Hall on Monday morning demanding justice for Cileana Taylor, the 22-year-old who was taken off life support on Feb. 26, 2021.
Taylor had been in a coma since an alleged attack at a house party in Peterborough on Sept. 3, 2020.
Just over a week after the incident, the Peterborough Police Service arrested and charged Jordan Morin with aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm. He and Taylor had been in a three-month relationship.
Since Taylor’s death, many in the First Nation north of Peterborough have asked police and the Peterborough Crown attorney’s office to upgrade the charges to manslaughter or murder.
“Cileana was just the most beautiful, amazing sweet caring thoughtful person,” said friend Dani Johnson during the protest. “She never had a bad thing to say about anyone and she just lit up a room.”
Taylor’s cousin Janet McCue said, as she beat a drum: “Here’s her picture on my drum and we sing every day for her.”
Curve Lake First Nation Chief Keith Knott echoed the sentiments of former chief Emily Whetung in calling for upgraded charges. He asked the public to express their concerns to the Crown attorney’s office.
“Our calls went unheeded, and now we wait for any type of justice — as a hearing has still not been scheduled,” Knott stated in a social media message from the First Nation on Friday.
“Support Cileana’s family, stand with Curve Lake First Nation, and let the world know that Cileana’s life is a loss that must be accounted for.”
He repeated the message on Monday at the protest, noting the incident is another example of the need to address violence against Indigenous women.
“It is a crying shame that our women have to go through stuff like this,” Knott said.
At the time of Morin’s arrest, the then 22-year-old was on already on bail for a separate assault in 2019.
Court documents also show that while Morin was out on bail related to the Taylor case, he was arrested in late January 2021 in connection with another alleged assault of a woman in November 2020. He was released again on bail in early February 2021, three weeks before Taylor died.
Police have previously stated they are limited as to what they can comment on the investigation while the case is before the courts.
The lawyer for Taylor’s family in 2021 argued Morin should face at least a manslaughter charge.
According to The Peterborough Examiner, Morin has been in custody since January 2022 after being sentenced to 10 months in connection with another assault. The Examiner reports as of May 17, the Crown’s attorney office had not upgraded the charges.
According to Ontario court dockets, Morin is scheduled for a bail review at the Superior Court of Justice in Peterborough on Tuesday morning. A trial date has yet to be set.
— with files from Robert Lothian/Global News Peterborough, The Canadian Press and The Peterborough Examiner