Missing and Murdered Women Cases Need National Response

By Michelle Cyr-Whiting

Prince George, B.C. -  Word that the body found near LC Gunn Park in Prince George was that of 35-year-old Cynthia Frances Maas, missing from the city since September, came late Friday night...on the heels of the country's justice ministers wrapping up a meeting in Vancouver where they agreed on the need to strengthen the criminal justice system's response to the hundreds of cases of missing and murdered women across the country.

As evidence of this need, the federal, provincial and territorial ministers released a report from a working group established four years ago to review issues related to the high number of such cases in Canada.  The Missing Women Working Group reviewed past cases of murdered women and found that many of the victims were:  aboriginal women; living in poverty; homeless, transient, and lacking in social networks; addicted to alcohol or drugs; involved in sex work or other dangerous practises such as hitchhiking; experiencing mental health issues.

The report goes on to make 52 recommendations, one of which reiterates a call made in the final report at the Highway of Tears symposium: 

"Recommendation #2:  The MWWG recommends that municipalities and First Nations, as appropriate, work with relevant community agencies and police to establish programs at key places where women rely heavily on hitchhiking, and incorporate strategies such as the shuttle bus transportation system recommended in the Highway of Tears Report."

Another recommendation suggests asking the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to consider a national strategy to ensure consistency in the way in which missing persons are reported.  The MWWG says this could be developed in conjunction with the implementation of a national information database on missing persons.  The group was tasked with reporting back this fall on efforts to create such a database and is recommending jurisdictions pursue it further, looking at issues like privacy concerns over cross-matching features.  There is also a recommendation that the federal government lead a feasibility study on the development of a voluntary database containing information on individuals considered at high risk of going missing.

For the full report, go to www.scics.gc.ca

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