Violence of Indigenous Women in Canada

Article Link: http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/13/canada-abusive-policing-neglect-along-highway-tears

                In Northern British Columbia, Canada there has been a string of violent acts against indigenous women.  This area of the Canada has seen its fair share of violent acts, as one highway, Highway 16 or the ‘Highway of Tears’, is known for murders and disappearances.  Recently, it has been uncovered that when indigenous women of the region come forth, with great courage on their part, they are not met with the standards I would hope the police would respond with.  The police and especially the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have either dismissed reports, not really looking into the cases as much as they should or are committing violent acts against the women themselves. Many women who have come forth have been met with physical and/or sexual assault from police officers.  One woman was asked if she would like to be charged with assaulting an officer or beaten.  Another claims to have been raped in the nearby woods by police officers.  Another reported a police man made things worse during a domestic call by breaking her daughter’s arm, a victim.  This is astonishing to me, as the police are supposed to be there to help and protect the women and everyone in the region.  This has been brought to the world’s attention through one of the committees of the United Nations, but small changes have been made and have not changed the behavior of these police officers.  Personally, I think this is appalling and should be addressed very quickly.  This is not something that should be happening.  Hopefully, the Canadian government will finally act and come up with a solution to stop this from happening.