January 8, 2016
First National Summit Focusing on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Families and the Justice System
Families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and representatives from police agencies, the criminal justice system and victims services participated in a two-day summit in Winnipeg to share their stories, challenges and recommendations to move forward on this critical national issue, Premier Greg Selinger announced today.
“It was an honour to welcome families and justice system representatives from across the country,” said Premier Selinger. “The goal of this summit was to provide a safe space for families to share their personal stories, for investigators and others to talk about their investigative strategies, and to discuss how we can all better work together moving forward.”
There were more than 200 people at the Justice Practitioners’ Summit on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls including families, police agencies, Crown attorneys and victims services practitioners. The premier noted families whose loved ones are missing or murdered have often requested an opportunity for this type of national summit, to ensure those working within the justice system have a full understanding of their experiences, concerns and recommendations.
This two-day summit, which concluded today, was one of the commitments made by premiers, ministers and other leaders at the 2015 National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, held in Ottawa. Discussions and recommendations emerging from the summit, the first of its kind in Canada, will help inform the next national roundtable, which takes place in Winnipeg next month.
The premier noted one recommendation is the creation of an ongoing national justice practitioners’ network to share resources, information and other supports related to the cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
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