Charges in death of Fort Liard girl
Manslaughter, sexual assault causing bodily harm charges filed in what was called a sudden death
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, March 27, 2017
ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD
The MLA for Nahendeh says there is sense of relief in the area - particularly in Fort Liard - now that charges have been laid in the 2015 death of a young girl.
Shane Thompson said that charges by RCMP will give the victim's family a degree of closure but at the same time the accused, who is also a minor, will get his or her day in court.
mposing a strict publication ban in the case - in addiction to existing provisions in the Youth Criminal Justice Act - police will not revealed the gender or age of the suspect.
All the force will say is that a youth was arrested March 2 and charged with manslaughter and sexual assault causing bodily harm.
That's in connection with what was originally reported as a sudden death of a 12-year-old girl in Fort Liard on Oct. 3, 2015. No cause of death was ever released.
RCMP also delayed publicizing information about charges for more than two weeks, until a news release was issued March 21.
"A publication ban is in effect. The names of the accused or victim or any information leading to the identification of the victim or accused can not be published or broadcast in any way," the release states.
"The youth has been released on conditions and will appear at a later date in youth court."
Thompson said he knew the victim and knows members of her family.
"It helps the community understand that the RCMP is doing its due diligence to get the job done. It's a difficult thing to solve," Thomspon said.
"Rumours are out there. They are not the facts. I have to compliment the RCMP ... on following the leads and making sure they did the job right."
Thompson said he knows violence is a problem in Nahendeh constituency but he added he does not think it is more of a problem in his area than it is anywhere else in the NWT.
